The Duke She Wished For

Happily Ever After #1

by Ellie St. Clair

He’s a duke who holds honesty above all. She’s a commoner hiding her true identity. Can they find their happily ever after at the masquerade, or will what separates them be too much to overcome when the final chime sounds at midnight?

In this Cinderella story, Tabitha Blackmore yearns for a life of her own, free from her hostile stepmother and gold-digging step-sister. Tabitha creates some of the most noteworthy hats and accessories in London, but looks forward to the day she can break free from her current life and attend millinery school. When an opportunity arises to outfit the Duchess of Stowe, a chance meeting with her son could change Tabitha's life forever.

For Nicholas Fairchild is a duke in name but not at heart. As his mother returns to society following her mourning period for his father, Nicholas dreads his responsibility to entertain vapid, fortune-seeking socialites and, eventually, find a wife. Then he happens upon Tabitha, who is everything he would have hoped for but nothing that he would have ever expected.

But just as he starts to fall for her, she disappears from his life forever and he must begin his search for the woman he fell in love with at first sight.

This Regency Romance contains some steamy content.
Revised and updated as of July 2020.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Novella, Fiction, Adult

154 pages, ebook

First published July 24, 2017

About the author

Ellie St. Clair writes heartwarming Regency romances with spirited heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and happily ever afters. Her passion for history shines through in richly drawn characters and romances brimming with irresistible tension.

A former journalist with an incurable love of history, she is the author of popular series such as Remingtons of the Regency and The Bluestocking Scandals. She lives in Saskatchewan, Canada, with her husband and three children.

When she isn’t crafting romantic tales or keeping up with her kids, she’s mainlining coffee, sweating it out on her Peloton, valiantly attempting to keep her plants alive, planning her next dog rescue, or dreaming of lake escapes.

Ellie loves corresponding with readers, so visit her website, email her, sign up for her newsletter or join her Facebook group for exclusive content, giveaways, and sneak peeks at upcoming books.

Contact her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/elliestclair, and sign up for her mailing list at http://www.elliestclair.com/subscribe.

Reviews

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Duke She Wished For" in the Happily Ever After Series was one wonderfully well-written, plotted Cinderella story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Enjoyed the interactions and the characters with the exception of the mother and sister...as stated a Cinderella fairytale love story that truly ended in a nice HEA.

Ellie St. Clair is a new author to this reader and didn't disappoint. On to Book 2 and hope it is just as good.

5-Stars

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tabitha Blackmore has been saving every penny in order to pay to attend a fashion school in Paris. She works as a hat maker in the shop her late father built. Her stepmother and stepsister treat her as a servant. When Tabitha delivers a large order of hats to the Duke's residence, the housekeeper asks her if she wants to make a little extra money. She wants Tabitha to help choose the Dowager Duchess's wardrobe as she entertains members of the ton for the next couple of days. They also want her to make sure no one upsets the charming woman since this is her first outing since her husband died. They must keep Tabitha's identity a secret, even from the handsome Duke.

This novella is an enjoyable retelling of Cinderella. The Duke falls for Tabitha as soon as he meets her. Of course, he doesn't know her true identity when she disappears from his residence. My rating: 3.5 Stars. (I received this book from the author for an honest review.)

[Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke She Wished For is a misleading title. But this is a very good story based on Cinderella style of a story. Tabitha Blackmore is a Hat Maker she inspires to go to a Millinery school in Paris. Her father has died and she is left in the care of a cruel stepmother and spoiled vicious stepsister. Tabitha works hard and when she is asked to make Hats for the Dowager Duchess of Stowe and attend to her dressing, a rouse is in the works to make her acceptable to the titled lords and lady's attending the Duchess ball she is giving for her sons return home from Paris.

Nicholas Fairchild is the Duke of Stowe he as been visiting is Estate in Paris and now is returning home. His cousin who is an Earl and Heir to a Dukedom is a part of the rouse pretending Tabitha is a distant cousin he has invited.

The housekeeper and her husband the Steward were just lovely people plotting to make sure Nicholas finds a good and kind wife. I think they saw that wife in Tabitha as they have been watching her for a while.

There are a few twist and turns but Nicholas and Tabitha fall in love and marry. This is a Novella so it is not long on details. But for a Novella that I thought I would Not like. It turned out to be very good.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say that I️ didn’t enjoy this one. This was not well researched and needed at least another edit. The titles, word usage, and dialogue were not correct for this time period. Neither character was very engaging and the plot was a little too silly. It was a safe read, with the H being a reformed rake 🙄, and there wasn’t any OP drama. However there was almost no character development and instalove was not believable.

[Sarah Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review** This is my first book from St. Clair. The writing is good, although you can tell she is new to the scene. Lots of little mistakes when it comes to the time period, such as how members of the peerage are addressed. With a bit more research and character development, I think she will be an amazing HR author!

The book is a twist on the classic Cinderella story and just very sweet and simple. My main issue is that it's more like a novella. This is technically my first novella and confirms why I try to avoid them. I adored the leads and thought they had great chemistry, I just feel like they lacked detail and depth. The book as a whole lacked the richness that you find in a 300+ page book. And oy with the part where they jump into bed! I love a good sex scene, but it is unnecessary here. Silly things like this and the reasoning behind Tabitha being asked to stay at the duke's residence are not quite believable. I feel like Tabitha and Nicholas could have been thrown together in a way that is more plausible.

If you are looking for a simple, quick read that puts a smile on your face, than this is it! I was happy to have it while traveling because there was so much going on and I just wanted something lite and not filled with angst. Despite the historical inaccuracies and some missed opportunities to really enhance the plot, I look forward to future releases from this author :)

[Ivy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like Cinderella for teenagers during the regency period. It was too short to be truly enjoyable for a regency historical and the characters were a bit too much like caricatures. The evil stepmother Ellora and the sourpuss stepsister Frances could have been doppelgangers for their counterparts in the Cinderella fairy tale. There is even a housekeeper, at the H's estate, who acts like a fairy godmother to the heroine. The one major problem I had was with the H's mother. She was the Dowager Duchess and she was too spineless and wimpy. She allowed her dead husband's bitchy mistress to insult her at her own house party. The mistress is not even on the same social level for crying out loud ! The mistress was a mere Baroness. This really rubbed my nerves the wrong way. The mistress also wanted her witchy gold digging daughter Sabine to marry the H. The H also didn't show much backbone until it was almost too late.
This novella is ok for a short mindless read but there's nothing very original about it. The Cinderella thing has been done before and done much better. There was a lot of potential here and maybe the story would have been improved if the author had developed this into a full fledged novel and explored the themes and conflicts in a more comprehensive manner.

[Bree Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enchanting Cinderella story with an evil stepmother and –sister, a dashing prince…well, duke, but that’ll work, too…and a hard-working, ever kind and helpful heroine who speaks her mind and follows her dreams. Witty, charming and utterly compelling, this is the perfect story for the dreamer in all of us!

[Ivana Azap Feješ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.*

Beautiful written novel. Tabitha is working very hard at the shope and must listen to her stepmother, so that she can not be ejected from her dead father's house.
She is cute little thing, our Tabitha. She soon accepts offer to stay in the duchesses house and help her maids to prepare their mistress for the outing from the grief. She has to coordinate the gowns and accessories for the duke's mother. Cause she didn't have a competent lady's maid to do that for her? Little strange...
Story is little incredible. It is hard to belive that Lorna the housekeeper is hiring Tabitha to be duchesses protector - it is like the game in some way, and not vey serious.
And hero is too good. Nicholas is very gentle toward his mother Gema.
And enters Alexander, the cousin. Very likeble character. Befriends Tabitha and helps her with her scheme.
Then we get to see encounter of Tabitha and Nicholas. He pretend like he is suspicious with presence of Tabitha, but he is very interested, beause she is different then other London ladies.
Tabitha is colecting information on guests during their first informal diner, while Nicholas is quiet and doesn't speek very much. Then Nicholas eject Sabine out of his badchamber, but Tabitha sees only her exit and secretive smile, and conclude that Nicholas is still with Sabine.
Then first clash of the titans. Tabitha is now on the black list for Lady Hester and Lady Sabine.
And finally the party, and heating glances between Tabitha and Nicholas, and their almost kiss scene. But the serpents began their pursuit of Tabithas origin and she had to go away and abandon Nicholas.
Nicholas is now searching Tabitha. He has find what he was looking for, and finally wish to take a wife.
And then he finds her in chocolate shop! And they conect again, but Tabitha still doesn't tell him the truth!
And then again on the street, when he asks from her to come at the masquerade ball. She is now in serious situation - she doesn't have a gown!
Cinderella design is then in full measure. Stepmother suspects something is wrong, and fairy godmother Lorna is sending the gown for the ball.
After that, and before the ball Nicholas discovers everything from Alexander, Lorna and Tillie. What he will do now, when he knows that Tabitha has been lying to him?
I don't know what I feel about them jumping in bed that fast. I guess that it will be some more trouble for them - looking at the content now, I think that it ended rather abruptly.
And in the end happily ever after - to good to be true. Honestly, Nicholas is to good to be true.
But, I loved the characters, and couldn't wait to see how the evil stepmother and stepsister were handled.
However, other characters with less-than-honorable intentions are written so cleverly, that I found it gleefully satisfying to enthusiastically cheer for their imminent downfall.

"A piece of advice, Tabitha. They key to swimming with sharks is that you never let your smile falter. You never let them see they have cut you," he said. "For once they sense blood in the water, it becomes a frenzy. If you can deny them the reaction they're looking for, they get desperate and are forced to make bolder and more careless moves. Remember that, dear cousin. Patience is the key to this victory."

"Your secrets are in danger," he whispered to her, their eyes locked. "I will know every last part of you and each and every piece will be mine."

Fun, fast paced, easy to read Cinderella-esque novella.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story. Highly recommend if your looking for a hot novella

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from the author for an honest review, and an honest review you shall receive.

Apart from a few spelling and missing word mistakes, this was a wonderful Cinderella story. I loved the characters, and couldn't wait to see how the evil stepmother and stepsister were handled. I wish more bad things happened to them, but that is just my dark side showing. I liked the few subtle differences from Cinderella to this, and it made for an interesting read. The only other wish that could have added to the story, was that I wish it had been longer and more drawn out. I'm a sucker for longer historical romances. I like staying in the world as long as I can.

I will definitely be following this author and hope that she continues to write fascinating stories. :D

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute Cinderella story, with insta-love & a HEA.

It’s fluffy like candy floss and sweet like syrup, and I enjoyed every morsel.

If you are looking for depth of character; adherence to cultural timeframe (I.e.: appropriate behaviour and dress for the time period) and great world building, this book is NOT for you. It does not deliver on these aspects.

It is a light, fun, and quick read. Sometimes you simply need a small pick-me-up snack of a read.

[Marla Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tabitha and Nicholas fell in love immediately. But was their class differences going to keep them apart? Would her secret come between them? They were both very likable characters and their story had just enough surprises to keep it interesting and to keep a slow burn. Well done this is a great read!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so confused. Was this a novella? It was so short....

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A piece of advice, Tabitha. They key to swimming with sharks is that you never let your smile falter. You never let them see they have cut you," he said. "For once they sense blood in the water, it becomes a frenzy. If you can deny them the reaction they're looking for, they get desperate and are forced to make bolder and more careless moves. Remember that, dear cousin. Patience is the key to this victory."

This novel was sort of Cinderella-esque. A baronet's daughter, Tabitha Blackmore, is reduced to being an overworked hat designer in her father's milliner's shop. She dreams of the day when she'll have enough money to travel to Paris and enroll in the Paris School of Millinery. After delivering a set of hats to the mother of the local duke, Tabitha is asked to do two unbelievable tasks. The first task is simple enough. She has to coordinate the gowns and accessories for the duke's mother. Cause she didn't have a competent lady's maid to do that for her? Next, the duke's housekeeper and cousin compel her to pretend to be a distant relation in order to thwart the jabs of Lady Banon, the local mean queen. Lady Banon is the former mistress of the duke's father and aims to further antagonize the duke's mother by encouraging a match between the duke and her own daughter. For some unbelievable reason, the duke's mother is too meek and sensitive to stand up for herself and needs a merchant's daughter to protect her. Are you kidding me? Tabitha is apparently fully capable of pulling off this ruse because she's read books and can convince the ton she's grown up abroad. I realize fiction is by definition not based on actual events, but I do prefer my historical fiction novels to be at least 90% plausible, paying close attention to the social norms and rules of etiquette for the time period being depicted.

I expected a lot more interference from the mean queen and her daughter, but they were surprisingly low-key after the brief house party. The stepmother and stepsister were also unexpectedly non-confrontational for most of the book. There was a tremendous opportunity for these four characters to wreak havoc in the lives of the heroine. Lady Banon could have wandered into the milliner's shop and discovered Tabitha's true identity, using the information to humiliate her. Lady Blackmore could have discovered her stepdaughter's deception and stolen her savings, destroying her Paris dreams. I was deeply disappointed that there were no shrieks from Tabitha's enemies when the duke announced their engagement at his masquerade ball. It's always fun to see the antagonist's reaction when she realizes her evil scheme has failed and the heroine has triumphed.

Overall, I felt this was a decent book, but the numerous errors in address were like speed bumps that abruptly interrupted the flow of the story each time I encountered one. There are too many incorrect forms of address to list them all. Tabitha's stepmother is incorrectly called Lady Ellora as well as Lady Blackmore. She should have only been addressed as Lady Blackmore. The mean queen (Lady Banon, not Lady Hester) is described as being "a countess...married to a powerful baron." The last time I checked, a baron's wife is a baroness. A countess is the wife of an earl. I cringed each time someone referred to the duke as "Lord Nicholas" as if he was the younger son of some high-ranking peer. A duke is addressed as HIS GRACE or YOUR GRACE by his subordinates. Just call him DUKE and you'll still be in the right ballpark. The duke's mother is not Lady Gemma. She is HER GRACE or YOUR GRACE or DUCHESS.

I raised my eyebrow when Tabitha knocked on the duke's front door to deliver his mother's hats instead of using the service entrance. The door was answered by "the doorman" instead of the butler which any duke during this period would have had stationed at the entrance to his home.

I'll end this review with a sizzling quote by the duke. It is one of the most enticing lines Ms. St. Clair wrote in this novel. "Your secrets are in danger," he whispered to her, their eyes locked. "I will know every last part of you and each and every piece will be mine." This reader swoons.

[Andriana Ristevska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tabitha Blackmore is so close to her freedom. She is working hard in her father's shop and wants to open her own one day. But in order to do that, she has to work day and night, creating hats and accessories and saving her money, away from her evil stepmother and stepsister. One day, one opportunity is knocking on her door. The Duchess of Stowe needs hats and needs them in a short period of time. It is impossible to create hats that fast, at least, not hats that will look flawless. But she has to be a fool to refuse that offer. Little did she knew, accepting that order is going to lead her to meeting the Duke. She knows her place but can't help to enjoy at the moment, imagining how it would be if she was coming from a high class family.

After his father's death, Nicholas Fairchild can't accept the fact that he's a Duke and has new responsibilities. And above of them all is finding a wife. Returning to London, he realizes that he might not find a real, honest and kind woman, the one to completely take his breath away. Until he led his eyes on his friend's cousin.

But is that just like the other times he was interested in a woman? Her being fake just to get to have his title, or this one is truly herself? Can he even trust her without fearing her breaking his heart?

This Cinderella retelling book is amazing. I couldn't put it down. And even though it feels like the story was rushed, I really loved the connection between the main characters and the character building throughout the whole story. I adore Tabitha, her kindness and her backstory.

Also, I loved all the details about the dresses and accessories and the time this book takes place. Interesting, sweet and addicting story that will put a smile on the reader's face. I enjoyed reading every single page of it. A beautiful start to a magical series.

[vaneeta naik · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book ...i voluntarily chose to review this book & dis is my honest review...
this is my 2nd book by Elle st.claire & i m happy to say d author didnt disappoint ....enjoyed d book
this book is a sweet Regency romance...
The story was well written...It reminds u of Cindrella ...it has all d ingredients ...a beautiful maiden ...a handsome prince...step-mother,step-sister & a fairy godmother in d form of housekeeper Lorna...
the heroine of d book Tabitha, a smart,kind,hard working,sensible independent young woman who has a dream to go to millinery school in Paris... but due to her evil step-mothers cruelty & selfishness finds it impossible to achieve her dreams... one fine day an opportunity enters in her life wherein she assists a duchess to re-enter the society ..
The duchess has a handsome son Nicholas who is a kind..lovable son ...when she meets Nicholas the Duke changes her life & she falls in love with him...
Tabitha and Nicholas have that chemistry from the first meeting ...I loved the story as the two found happiness with each other, giving the story a fairytale ending... I liked d Characters of Tilly & Alexander & hope to read there story in future...
Also i liked d unconventional bonding shown between d duke & his household help as it was beneath d aristrocrats in Regency era to associate with the lower strata of society...
dis book is so freshning ...it gives u a good feeling... well done Elle...
The author's style of writing & presenting a story is so simple but still it captivates u ...the plot is fast paced doesnt bore u & holds ur interest right from d start...

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read from author Ellie St Clair. But hope there will be many more! This was a delightful enchanting novella. What girl would not wish for a Duke? Tabitha Blackmore only wished to save enough money to get away from her stepmother and stepsister who treat her like a servant after Tabitha's father passed away. She was left working in the Milner shop she and her father had built together. All her stepmother wanted was for her to make money so she could spent it on her daughter to present her in the marriage mart. Sound a little like a fairy tale? Well it is much better. Tabitha gets drawn into helping a duchess, who is coming back out into society after a period of mourning. In walks Lord Nicholas, her son who has been away. What follows is a wonderful story that will keep your attention and hoping all comes out in the end! All I can say is hurry with the next story Ellie St Claire! I can hardly wait!

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute, sweet, fluffy take on Cinderella. The only complaints that I have seen on the GR reviews have been that it is not historically correct for that time period. Oh good grief, I do not read historical romance novels for it's historical accurateness. I would hop on to YouTube and watch some documentaries if I wanted accurate history. Back to this book though... It was only 150 so pages on my Kindle I think, so not a full-length story. That was the only drawback I thought. It would have been wonderful to have another 100 pages to see the H/h interact more. Because I slightly felt as if they were still strangers once the proposal came about. But... in the real Cinderella story, the prince and Cinderella suffered a grand case of insta-love as well during one dance at the ball right before midnight. Just suspend your belief and enjoy this somewhat make-believe love story :)

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This enchanting Cinderella-esque tale was just the right length to enjoy with my morning pot of coffee. And, what better way to start the day than with an HEA!

Tabitha and Nicholas are so well-written and lifelike, that I found it very easy to become enamored of them and cheer for a fairy tale ending. However, other characters with less-than-honorable intentions are written so cleverly, that I found it gleefully satisfying to enthusiastically cheer for their imminent downfall. Everything about this charming story captured and enchanted the romantic in me.

This was my first Ellie St. Clair story, and it won't be my last!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the story was well written. The characters were well developed and likable. It had a nice steady pace to keep the story going. As the story unfolds it tells us more about each character.
At first the story gave me a feeling or thought of a “Cinderella” story. I wasn’t to happy with Tabitha’s stepmother, and Frances, on how they treated her.
For some reason kept thinking of Nicholas as Mr Darcy from “Pride and Prejudice.
Nicholas and Tabitha have chemistry and make the story more interesting to read about. I loved the story as the two found happiness with each other, giving the story a very happy romance ending.

Got ARC for an honest review.
Thank you for sharing your book with me.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, fast paced, easy to read Cinderella-esque novella. It had a good plot and was very character driven. This wasn't really a problem since all the characters (both the good guys and the villains) were well developed and I enjoyed them all, but I would have liked a little more period detail. Still a good way to spend an hour or two if you enjoy a good romance with a HEA.

I received an ARC of this book under no obligation to leave a review.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una breve historia al estilo de Cenicienta, donde una joven diseñadora de sombreros, Tabitha, acepta una extraña oferta: socorrer a una duquesa de las murmuraciones, los chismes y los velados ataques de una malvada rival.
Solo que, haciendo este papel, se enamora de un guapo duque que hará hasta lo imposible por volverla a ver.

[Bev Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Tabitha and Nicholas made the perfect couple even though she felt beneath him because he was a Duke she was perfect for him! I really liked her friend Tilley too I hope to see her and Alexander's story soon! Ellie St.Clair is an awesome author!

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[MaryD · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rif on Cinderella, with a couple of twists.

[Gaylina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very quick read. Kind of a Cinderella story. Adorable. Very short at 115 pages. I prefer paper over electronic books and am surprised this book made it to a paperback as the sequel is Kindle only. It’s predictable but so cute. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for a quick, feel good story and fun read.

[Linda S Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Ellis St. Clair

This story is a twist on Cinderella. It is Nicholas and Tabitha's story. He is a Duke and she is a milliner, which she loves doing. I really enjoyed the story. Naturally her step mother and step sister were mean
to her. Other than that is was filled with love.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little Cinderella retelling of sorts. I feel like the book was rushed though. I would have liked more time in each phase, the beginning- middle - and end. I would have liked to spend more time getting to know each character. Let things marinate a little more. All the bones are there I would've just wanted a little more.

[AmazingJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Absolutely Wonderful, Delightful & Romantic Book

A very enjoyable, delightful & Romantic Story.

Nicholas, a Duke who doesn't care for society & the Ton. & A daughter of a Baronet/milliner run into the one another literally & are surprised by the emotions they have.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.