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His #4
His Improper Proposal
Nicholas Winter, Marquess of Sinridge, might be considered the catch of the Season...if he had any intention of being caught. Accustomed to deference and respect, he finds himself oddly charmed by an impertinent housemaid he encounters while attending a ball. Captivated, he resolves to steal her away from her unkind employer. His rash decision mystifies even himself: he doesn't even know her name.
Ella has been a housemaid all her life, and is no stranger to the improper advances of noblemen, but the marquess defies all such expectations. And yet when circumstances compel her at last to accept his generous offer of employment, she is bewildered to discover that her new position isn't what she thought it would be.
She won't be his mistress, and he doesn't want her as a maid. Instead, Nick hires her on as his companion. As improper as it is, it's the only way to keep her close. But now that he has her, how far will he go to keep her?
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2019
101 people are currently reading
480 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
August 14, 2022
4 stars. Some mixed feelings about this book. This is a Cinderella retelling - which was very well done imo.
Let me start by saying… this book has some really questionable consent. Did it bother me? Not a whole lot. 🫣🫣 Going in to this story, I knew that there would be these issues, and I think I was somewhat numb to them when they came up. As I’ve said in reviews before, expectations are very influential of my feelings about a story. However, if you are triggered by consent issues, then this book is probably not a good fit.
So essentially, the heroine’s parents die when she’s a baby, she is given into care with a family that has several other small children. This family turns her into a servant and uses the money that was allocated to her care for themselves. She is treated like 💩 until the hero finds her being mistreated and offers her a position in his home. She’s super stubborn (to her own detriment at times) and initially refuses him. But he is persistent and she does eventually comes to work for him after a near miss with the family’s grabby son. From there the story with the MCs really begins, there’s a lot of pushing away from the heroine and pursuit by the hero, and they eventually do get a HEA.
While I generally enjoyed this book, parts of the ending really irritated me. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’ll just say that there was too much contrived drama. I’m never a fan of overly dramatic endings… I generally prefer the couple to be working together by that point. I don’t know why the heroine had to “see what’s out there” - considering she supposedly loved the hero?? And the hero becomes a jealous, growling idiot, who doesn’t know when to quit. It was just all too much for me, and I lost some respect for both MCs.
Safe; virgin heroine, hero was a manwhore but reformed after the death of his father a few years prior to the story, no ow drama, some om drama, no scenes with om/ow, no cheating.
Let me start by saying… this book has some really questionable consent. Did it bother me? Not a whole lot. 🫣🫣 Going in to this story, I knew that there would be these issues, and I think I was somewhat numb to them when they came up. As I’ve said in reviews before, expectations are very influential of my feelings about a story. However, if you are triggered by consent issues, then this book is probably not a good fit.
So essentially, the heroine’s parents die when she’s a baby, she is given into care with a family that has several other small children. This family turns her into a servant and uses the money that was allocated to her care for themselves. She is treated like 💩 until the hero finds her being mistreated and offers her a position in his home. She’s super stubborn (to her own detriment at times) and initially refuses him. But he is persistent and she does eventually comes to work for him after a near miss with the family’s grabby son. From there the story with the MCs really begins, there’s a lot of pushing away from the heroine and pursuit by the hero, and they eventually do get a HEA.
While I generally enjoyed this book, parts of the ending really irritated me. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’ll just say that there was too much contrived drama. I’m never a fan of overly dramatic endings… I generally prefer the couple to be working together by that point. I don’t know why the heroine had to “see what’s out there” - considering she supposedly loved the hero?? And the hero becomes a jealous, growling idiot, who doesn’t know when to quit. It was just all too much for me, and I lost some respect for both MCs.
Safe; virgin heroine, hero was a manwhore but reformed after the death of his father a few years prior to the story, no ow drama, some om drama, no scenes with om/ow, no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2022
The power dynamic made me a little uneasy about the romance.
August 13, 2022
“His Improper Proposal” is the story of Ella and Nicholas.
Our heroine is a servant, horribly mistreated by her employer and almost preyed about their son. Her only solace is with their youngest daughter.
At a ball, there is a chance encounter between the hero and heroine, and he is horrified by the way she is treated. He offers her an escape in his household, but she declines. Circumstances lead to her escaping after an attack, and the hero provides her a shelter.
She wants to be his maid, he wants her as his companion. As he realizes his feelings run deeper, she is tricked into a bond of matrimony without her knowledge. But what will happen when the truth is revealed?
The good: I absolutely ADORED the hero. Apart from the one instance where he utters the wrong thing, he is smitten, protective and goes out of his way to woo the heroine and declare his feelings for her. He also teaches her to read and gives her books and keeps the cat! I loved him.
The meh: I felt the story was rushed in few places. For instance, after she escapes - we never know what happened to her attacker (she believes she has killed him). Wouldn’t the hero have protected her differently as she thought she had committed a crime?
Also there was secondary romance set up between the youngest sister and his brother? How did that disappear?
I enjoyed it but it could have been perfect.
Safe
4/5
Our heroine is a servant, horribly mistreated by her employer and almost preyed about their son. Her only solace is with their youngest daughter.
At a ball, there is a chance encounter between the hero and heroine, and he is horrified by the way she is treated. He offers her an escape in his household, but she declines. Circumstances lead to her escaping after an attack, and the hero provides her a shelter.
She wants to be his maid, he wants her as his companion. As he realizes his feelings run deeper, she is tricked into a bond of matrimony without her knowledge. But what will happen when the truth is revealed?
The good: I absolutely ADORED the hero. Apart from the one instance where he utters the wrong thing, he is smitten, protective and goes out of his way to woo the heroine and declare his feelings for her. He also teaches her to read and gives her books and keeps the cat! I loved him.
The meh: I felt the story was rushed in few places. For instance, after she escapes - we never know what happened to her attacker (she believes she has killed him). Wouldn’t the hero have protected her differently as she thought she had committed a crime?
Also there was secondary romance set up between the youngest sister and his brother? How did that disappear?
I enjoyed it but it could have been perfect.
Safe
4/5
September 24, 2021
This one is hard to review. It’s well-written but, on consent... so problematic. The hero tries to teach the heroine that she can say no, early on in their relationship. But the power dynamic really doesn’t allow her that right. And then, for the rest of the book, he doesn’t really allow her to say what she wants. He even tricks her into marrying him because she can’t read the contract. For a book that was obviously trying to give the heroine agency, it does the exact opposite. At no time, do I feel convinced that she has true agency.
I do like the relationship between her and one of her not-so-evil “stepsisters”. This is an obvious Cinderella retelling. And it has a unique way. It could have been great, but it just fails.
I do like the relationship between her and one of her not-so-evil “stepsisters”. This is an obvious Cinderella retelling. And it has a unique way. It could have been great, but it just fails.
July 26, 2023
3.5 stars
This is my first Aydra Richards and I liked her fresh approach to historical romance. Her plotting felt fresh and obviously she has a knack for imagining situations that promise angst and swooning. Although I found the pace and writing of the story inequal in places and some plot elements eliciting eye rolling moments, I still enjoyed it.
The story was too slow in places and not enough deep in others to really strike at gut wrenching angst level that the bare bones of the plot had the potential of. However, I am thankful that Ella did not suffer too many pages count at the hands of the Cavendishes. For a moment, I had feared that the story would get ugly to include prison and lawsuits after Geoffrey's attack. Yet, with the right kind of writing, such a twist could have read fantastic, a bit like the excellent Heartless. But AR obviously does not intend her books to be super angsty - for which I am at the same time thankful and regretful 😅 (I love super angst but at the same time fear it, because it is so difficult to have books where it is amped up beautifully and having a resolution that totally vindicates the hurt level 😶)!
Concerning the romance itself, I was pleasantly surprised that for most of the book the perspective of the H, Nick, was privileged (3rd person narrative nevertheless). I liked it, a lot, and he proved to be such a charming and considerate H. He had that uncanny power to divine Ella's inner questions and fears that helped him soothe her and make him trust him. His ploy to have her marry him was underhanded but I could not hate him for that. They were both in love at that point and only Ella's fears would have been an obstacle but I believe Nick would have reassured her nevertheless. Ella's character was charming as well, but she sometimes felt too erased and not enough fleshed out. Probably the downside of having the limelight on the H's pov. In the last chapters, Ella did acquire much more presence than all through the book. However, all in all, Nick and Ella's connection felt true, simple and sweet.
There were some OTT parts that imho could have been rounded off into better plot elements to elevate the story:
📚 The stipend for Ella: 1000 pounds per month? Really? That bit annoyed me a lot because it was totally unrealistic. 1000 per year would have already been a fortune! And this being introduced at the very start of the book pushed me off my kilter. Why the need to exaggerate that much? 1000 a year would have been fine enough.
📚 The lazyness of lawyers: 18 years and not one of them to at least check physically on the recipient of a ducal fortune? Very, very lazy lawyers/ trustees etc. When I understood that Ella's parents were close to Jilly's family, it felt like a big plothole that they should have planned her stipend and assets but not her guardianship! A main worry of any titled peer was who would be in line for the title should they die or fail to have an heir. Her parents ought to have known that it would be an elderly bachelor distant cousin. Why leave Ella's fate in his hands, why not stipulate Jilly's family or other as guardians?
📚 The Cavendishes' punishment: 18 years' worth of embezzlement!! At least 216,000 pounds worth of stipend, goodness knows how much more of estate money and years of mistreatments (slaps, hard work, sexual harrassment, attempted rape and certainly much more!)... and no harsher treatment than banishment from London and return of monies left??!? If there was a time for OTT-ness, this would have been the golden time! I wanted a telenovela-worth amount of brimstone falling over these lice, including their having to repay it all for the rest of their miserable lives!
I may have vented out a tiny bit 😅 but I still loved the book because it read so fresh from the usual HR fare. I will certainly continue to read AR's other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2025
4.5 stars 🌟
I like Nick when he appeared in book 1 and was looking forward to reading his story. Which did not disappoint.
Nick see a maid being ill treated by her employer. And finds the need to rescue her.
I found this story interesting, James and Jilly from book 1, appear in this story.
I like Nick when he appeared in book 1 and was looking forward to reading his story. Which did not disappoint.
Nick see a maid being ill treated by her employer. And finds the need to rescue her.
I found this story interesting, James and Jilly from book 1, appear in this story.
June 16, 2024
Mostly skimmed it! H was too perfect!
February 14, 2021
Housemaid h and aristocratic H ...
Great story, well paced and very well-written ...
Wonderful H; a total sweetheart who saves h from her cruel employers and eventually marries her ... in a cute little twisty way ...
This author writes very well indeed ...
Great story, well paced and very well-written ...
Wonderful H; a total sweetheart who saves h from her cruel employers and eventually marries her ... in a cute little twisty way ...
This author writes very well indeed ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 23, 2024Sadly, it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t buy into the whole fall for the maid trope. Was it because she was SO beautiful? I don’t know. It just felt very one sided and lost interest quickly.
April 19, 2023
The power gap was astonishingly imbalanced lol. And the way the H deceived the h was simply appalling, but it gets bonus points since I love the h's name and we share the same birthday.
December 25, 2023
1.75/2 Stars
I...I am so disappointed. I loved Nick throughout the entire series and I was looking forward to his story but... 😔
The prologue essentially gave me all the info I needed to come up with my own assumptions with how this story might play out. I wasn't particularly fond of the Cinderella similarities or the heroine even being dubbed Ella. Ah, originality..
In the beginning I did my best not to let that cloud my judgement, and for the most part I succeeded. Nick continued to be the likeable hero I expected and even amusing at times.
The heroine however...ugh. Ella was incredibly boring. She had NO personality, even without using the excuse that she had no idea who she truly was. Her thoughts were equal parts repetitive, proper and needlessly stubborn that I wanted to bash my head against a wall. I absolutely couldn't stand her prim and proper attitude, particularly because it was used to argue how unworthy she was because she was a servant. How often she argued how she couldn't do this or do that, that she was a servant, that she was nobody. Ugh. Yeah, I was aware you were a servant homegirl but jeez, chill.
I wish I were kidding when I say that more than half the story she is simply arguing with Nick over what he wants her to do or wear or anything, really, all because she was a servant. It was just so, so tiresome and one or two arguments was enough not a whole book of the same argument thats just been phrased differently.
Somehow Nick found her fascinating for that alone. That she argued with him. Which tbh seems to be a trend all the heros of this series enjoy from their heroines. However, for how much she argued with him in the beginning it didn't do anything for her personality. The entire story she was utterly forgettable. Even as a servant I'm sure she should have developed a personality at some point, but alas that was not the case with beautiful tragic Ella. 🙄 Particularly she seemed like an entirely different character from the few meetings they had before she moved into his home.
But most of all I was disappointed in Nick. Because the entire book I kept wondering: Why, Nick? What is so special about silly proper helpless Ella? I didn't see it. Oh, she was beautiful with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She was delicate and apparently roused protective instincts. Blah, freaking blah! It was all so forced and contrived. I didn't feel as if they had actual REAL feelings for one another. Because they didn't.
Nick had a hero complex regarding Ella, and he set out to rescue her and he did. Against all of Ella's stubbornness and resistance, at least. And yet, Ella never showed any real progression as far as having true romantic feelings for Nick. He was her hero, he was the first man who was NICE to her who treated her like a HUMAN. He respected her and gave her CHOICES and kept his word when he gave it. He was essentially a novelty to her. BUT they never had any REAL conversations about one another, atleast not enough to bond over or learn anything of real importance or substance about one another.
Truth be told knowing Ella was around 20/21 and Nick 28 years old gave me a bit of an ick vibe. Not necessarily because of the age gap, but because Ella herself just appeared and acted so much younger at times that it felt wrong. Especially with Nick talking about her beauty and then when things began to shift into intimacy between them...it felt strange and awkward to me. Because they had no chemistry and no real reason for Nick to be so enamored by this housemaid who came from a bad situation. The power dynamic was very uneven between them and her reading across like much younger did absolutely nothing to help that.🤷🏻♀️
Personally I found Ella's stubbornness in the beginning frustrating and pointless after Nick offered her a better position. I understand the perils of leaving the only home she knew, devil you know and all that, especially knowing she'd get not character reference from the mistress. And yet..it was never really clear why she refused multiple times when he offered. At first it was made to seem as if it was so she didn't leave Cordelia alone in the house but later it seemed like there was some other unspoken reason but we never examine it.
The pacing as well didn't work for me. We spent the first half of the book with Nick obsessed with Ella's situation, trying to convince her the come work in his home, then wanting to rain down hell on her behalf when she finally comes to him as a last resort when she's nearly sexually assaulted. The days and weeks that follow we see him quite literally fighting her to remain in his home. She was so resistant and was like a scared rabbit about to flee. So much so Nick felt he couldn't leave her alone else she would disappear. Which frankly was ridiculous giving that he had been fake courting Cordelia in the beginning as Ella got to come along as a chaperone. Cordelia was perfectly okay with the setup as it got her mother off her back for the time being, and she hoped to help Nick convince Ella to leave her horrible family. And yet, once Ella was in his home Nick locks himself in with her more or less. It made no sense and felt out of place considering he wasn't keeping up appearances. But most of all, I ASSUMED that once Ella was safe in his home the first thing he would do was pay court to Cordelia and give her news of Ella who she surely knew was missing by then. But no! It took weeks...WEEKS before we see Cordelia again. And when we do it's because Nick has asked his younger brother Jem to court her in his steed and after their first outing (where Jem naturally begins to fall in love) Jem casually mentions he told Cordelia that Ella was with Nick and safe, to which Cordelia SUPPOSEDLY claims she assumed as much.
Excuse me? That was just not well written or timed at all. It was annoying to read it all like an afterthought, especially after being introduced to Cordelia early on in the story just for everything else to fall to the wayside while Nick stayed hold up in his home trying to convince a servant to be his companion 🙄😆
By the time Nick decided to trick Ella into marrying him because she can't read what he helped her sign, especially because she thought she was signing a contract to be his mistress...well I lost interest. I skimmed the rest of the story and I have no regrets.
The ending was uninspired and boring. Ella was so confused about her situation as is with learning she was actually Nicks wife and not his mistress that of course! Let's let her know she's actually a dukes daughter and make everything more stressful for her. Now silly Ella finally knows who is really is...but wait! She doesn't have any idea who she is! 🤣 Spare me.
The ending of the book, as expected sees Nick agitated and jealous because to absolutely no surprise their marriage isn't legal because Ella Wilson wasn't her real name. So naturally Jilly and James are going to chaperone her until her twenty first birthday in about three months and give her the come out ball and intro into society she deserves. This didn't work for me for a number of reasons. Particularly because Ella was so against the idea she could be a proper lady just to be Nick's wife, but somehow in the few weeks before her birthday she simply excels as Jilly's teachings on how to be a proper lady. So much so that by her come out ball she dressed and spoke like an entirely different character.
It was so absurd that she just so easily slipped into the role NOW after finding out about her heritage yet she doubted herself and fought it at every turn when it was just to be a proper wife to Nick. 🙄
I mean my God she couldn't read or write and eventually after they're married he teaches her, which we don't see. It's mentioned as a throwaway comment three weeks after they've been married. This was annoying and and frustrated me to no end because frankly Nick should have set about teaching her to read the week she moved into his home! I was surprised he never tried to teach her after she tells him. Ridiculous.
It felt like everything dragged and nothing interesting ever happened. I didn't enjoy the focus of the story or the secrecy about the marriage, even if I was happy he married her before sleeping with her.
If I'm absolutely honest I would have preferred Nick ended up with Cordelia. Atleast she HAD a damn personality and was fun to read for the brief time we got of her on page.
Anyway...hats off to those who loved this book and had no issues with it as I did. I'm going to pretend I never read it so I can still hold Nick in high regard.
I...I am so disappointed. I loved Nick throughout the entire series and I was looking forward to his story but... 😔
The prologue essentially gave me all the info I needed to come up with my own assumptions with how this story might play out. I wasn't particularly fond of the Cinderella similarities or the heroine even being dubbed Ella. Ah, originality..
In the beginning I did my best not to let that cloud my judgement, and for the most part I succeeded. Nick continued to be the likeable hero I expected and even amusing at times.
The heroine however...ugh. Ella was incredibly boring. She had NO personality, even without using the excuse that she had no idea who she truly was. Her thoughts were equal parts repetitive, proper and needlessly stubborn that I wanted to bash my head against a wall. I absolutely couldn't stand her prim and proper attitude, particularly because it was used to argue how unworthy she was because she was a servant. How often she argued how she couldn't do this or do that, that she was a servant, that she was nobody. Ugh. Yeah, I was aware you were a servant homegirl but jeez, chill.
I wish I were kidding when I say that more than half the story she is simply arguing with Nick over what he wants her to do or wear or anything, really, all because she was a servant. It was just so, so tiresome and one or two arguments was enough not a whole book of the same argument thats just been phrased differently.
Somehow Nick found her fascinating for that alone. That she argued with him. Which tbh seems to be a trend all the heros of this series enjoy from their heroines. However, for how much she argued with him in the beginning it didn't do anything for her personality. The entire story she was utterly forgettable. Even as a servant I'm sure she should have developed a personality at some point, but alas that was not the case with beautiful tragic Ella. 🙄 Particularly she seemed like an entirely different character from the few meetings they had before she moved into his home.
But most of all I was disappointed in Nick. Because the entire book I kept wondering: Why, Nick? What is so special about silly proper helpless Ella? I didn't see it. Oh, she was beautiful with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She was delicate and apparently roused protective instincts. Blah, freaking blah! It was all so forced and contrived. I didn't feel as if they had actual REAL feelings for one another. Because they didn't.
Nick had a hero complex regarding Ella, and he set out to rescue her and he did. Against all of Ella's stubbornness and resistance, at least. And yet, Ella never showed any real progression as far as having true romantic feelings for Nick. He was her hero, he was the first man who was NICE to her who treated her like a HUMAN. He respected her and gave her CHOICES and kept his word when he gave it. He was essentially a novelty to her. BUT they never had any REAL conversations about one another, atleast not enough to bond over or learn anything of real importance or substance about one another.
Truth be told knowing Ella was around 20/21 and Nick 28 years old gave me a bit of an ick vibe. Not necessarily because of the age gap, but because Ella herself just appeared and acted so much younger at times that it felt wrong. Especially with Nick talking about her beauty and then when things began to shift into intimacy between them...it felt strange and awkward to me. Because they had no chemistry and no real reason for Nick to be so enamored by this housemaid who came from a bad situation. The power dynamic was very uneven between them and her reading across like much younger did absolutely nothing to help that.🤷🏻♀️
Personally I found Ella's stubbornness in the beginning frustrating and pointless after Nick offered her a better position. I understand the perils of leaving the only home she knew, devil you know and all that, especially knowing she'd get not character reference from the mistress. And yet..it was never really clear why she refused multiple times when he offered. At first it was made to seem as if it was so she didn't leave Cordelia alone in the house but later it seemed like there was some other unspoken reason but we never examine it.
The pacing as well didn't work for me. We spent the first half of the book with Nick obsessed with Ella's situation, trying to convince her the come work in his home, then wanting to rain down hell on her behalf when she finally comes to him as a last resort when she's nearly sexually assaulted. The days and weeks that follow we see him quite literally fighting her to remain in his home. She was so resistant and was like a scared rabbit about to flee. So much so Nick felt he couldn't leave her alone else she would disappear. Which frankly was ridiculous giving that he had been fake courting Cordelia in the beginning as Ella got to come along as a chaperone. Cordelia was perfectly okay with the setup as it got her mother off her back for the time being, and she hoped to help Nick convince Ella to leave her horrible family. And yet, once Ella was in his home Nick locks himself in with her more or less. It made no sense and felt out of place considering he wasn't keeping up appearances. But most of all, I ASSUMED that once Ella was safe in his home the first thing he would do was pay court to Cordelia and give her news of Ella who she surely knew was missing by then. But no! It took weeks...WEEKS before we see Cordelia again. And when we do it's because Nick has asked his younger brother Jem to court her in his steed and after their first outing (where Jem naturally begins to fall in love) Jem casually mentions he told Cordelia that Ella was with Nick and safe, to which Cordelia SUPPOSEDLY claims she assumed as much.
Excuse me? That was just not well written or timed at all. It was annoying to read it all like an afterthought, especially after being introduced to Cordelia early on in the story just for everything else to fall to the wayside while Nick stayed hold up in his home trying to convince a servant to be his companion 🙄😆
By the time Nick decided to trick Ella into marrying him because she can't read what he helped her sign, especially because she thought she was signing a contract to be his mistress...well I lost interest. I skimmed the rest of the story and I have no regrets.
The ending was uninspired and boring. Ella was so confused about her situation as is with learning she was actually Nicks wife and not his mistress that of course! Let's let her know she's actually a dukes daughter and make everything more stressful for her. Now silly Ella finally knows who is really is...but wait! She doesn't have any idea who she is! 🤣 Spare me.
The ending of the book, as expected sees Nick agitated and jealous because to absolutely no surprise their marriage isn't legal because Ella Wilson wasn't her real name. So naturally Jilly and James are going to chaperone her until her twenty first birthday in about three months and give her the come out ball and intro into society she deserves. This didn't work for me for a number of reasons. Particularly because Ella was so against the idea she could be a proper lady just to be Nick's wife, but somehow in the few weeks before her birthday she simply excels as Jilly's teachings on how to be a proper lady. So much so that by her come out ball she dressed and spoke like an entirely different character.
It was so absurd that she just so easily slipped into the role NOW after finding out about her heritage yet she doubted herself and fought it at every turn when it was just to be a proper wife to Nick. 🙄
I mean my God she couldn't read or write and eventually after they're married he teaches her, which we don't see. It's mentioned as a throwaway comment three weeks after they've been married. This was annoying and and frustrated me to no end because frankly Nick should have set about teaching her to read the week she moved into his home! I was surprised he never tried to teach her after she tells him. Ridiculous.
It felt like everything dragged and nothing interesting ever happened. I didn't enjoy the focus of the story or the secrecy about the marriage, even if I was happy he married her before sleeping with her.
If I'm absolutely honest I would have preferred Nick ended up with Cordelia. Atleast she HAD a damn personality and was fun to read for the brief time we got of her on page.
Anyway...hats off to those who loved this book and had no issues with it as I did. I'm going to pretend I never read it so I can still hold Nick in high regard.
November 20, 2023
I despise this app. I had a whole review written out and then it forced closed. Doubt I’ll ever rewrite it. This was my least favorite Aydra Richard’s book. I thought it was highly improbable, though I did like the aspect of it being a Cinderella retelling. I needed more angst and more things happening in this book. I felt the plot dragged. Neither of the MC’s were particularly interesting to me. Oh well. You can’t win them all! Still love this author.
March 13, 2022
Nicolas Winter, Marquess of Sinridge becomes obsessed over a maid who is abused by her employer. He is desperate to take her away, but she continues to say "No" when he asks.
Nick is worried and frustrated with her refusals, until the night she shows up at his door. Once she is in his house, the last thing he wants is for her to leave. Ella has no position in her life except as a maid. Treated horrible by several members of the family she lives and works for, she is afraid to leave with no money and no reference, until the night terror forces her to Nick's home. A marquess creates a lie, a missing heiress is found and love that will bind them together. A Cinderella trope with a Marquess who is desperate to make Ella his Countless, head over heels in love and is very funny in his jealousy. A swoon-worthy hero with loads of charm.
Nick is worried and frustrated with her refusals, until the night she shows up at his door. Once she is in his house, the last thing he wants is for her to leave. Ella has no position in her life except as a maid. Treated horrible by several members of the family she lives and works for, she is afraid to leave with no money and no reference, until the night terror forces her to Nick's home. A marquess creates a lie, a missing heiress is found and love that will bind them together. A Cinderella trope with a Marquess who is desperate to make Ella his Countless, head over heels in love and is very funny in his jealousy. A swoon-worthy hero with loads of charm.
March 12, 2024
I think this one is my favorite Richards story so far. It's sort of a Cinderella story (the h's name is in fact Ella...short for Penelope). It also takes the typical trope of an H forced to marry the h and turns it around. Now it's the H who wants to marry the h and is willing to do so by any means necessary.
The storyline is simple. Downtrodden housemaid Ella is noticed by the Marquess, Nicholas Winter. They immediately take to each other, he more so than she. He tries to get her to work for him but she refuses because she has been raised as a servant abused by her employers from her earliest memory. She's scared to leave the security of her job. However, events happen that forces her to turn to Nick who more than happily takes her in but not as a servant but as a "companion" and ultimately as his wife.
I loved Nick. He never hid his feelings for Ella. He literally doted on this woman. He stayed true to his character and showed his (unapologetic) love for Ella for anyone to see. Ella was also a sympathetic creature. Her employers never saw to her education so being unable to read and write has also limited her ability to move to another situation. Cleaning is literally all that she knows and her self esteem has taken a real beating. Her happiness at being allowed to have a small room to herself will make your heart twinge.
Lovely story with a nice HEA.
The storyline is simple. Downtrodden housemaid Ella is noticed by the Marquess, Nicholas Winter. They immediately take to each other, he more so than she. He tries to get her to work for him but she refuses because she has been raised as a servant abused by her employers from her earliest memory. She's scared to leave the security of her job. However, events happen that forces her to turn to Nick who more than happily takes her in but not as a servant but as a "companion" and ultimately as his wife.
I loved Nick. He never hid his feelings for Ella. He literally doted on this woman. He stayed true to his character and showed his (unapologetic) love for Ella for anyone to see. Ella was also a sympathetic creature. Her employers never saw to her education so being unable to read and write has also limited her ability to move to another situation. Cleaning is literally all that she knows and her self esteem has taken a real beating. Her happiness at being allowed to have a small room to herself will make your heart twinge.
Lovely story with a nice HEA.
September 10, 2024
2 🌟's
oof this one was a real miss for me, prob my least favorite book from this author - smth about this dynamic didn't work for me because it didn't feel like the stakes were high enough .. everything just seemed to work out which given the context, it should've been more scandalous .. i also HATED that he literally took advantage of the fact that she couldn't read or write in order to forcefully marry her?? like what girl that was so fucking problematic and i was not here for it
idk.. this just wasn't the one girl
oof this one was a real miss for me, prob my least favorite book from this author - smth about this dynamic didn't work for me because it didn't feel like the stakes were high enough .. everything just seemed to work out which given the context, it should've been more scandalous .. i also HATED that he literally took advantage of the fact that she couldn't read or write in order to forcefully marry her?? like what girl that was so fucking problematic and i was not here for it
idk.. this just wasn't the one girl
August 5, 2025
I know that, despite the author's best efforts, the power dynamics are screwed on this one, ok? But if I wanted reality I wouldn't be reading historical romance. Also, I liked Ella and I understand all her issues, but I wish she had been more Jilly and less damsel in distress. Anyway, we all know I read this for Nick and he didn't disappoint at all *happy sigh*
July 30, 2021
Another stellar book by Aydra Richards. Great take on a Cinderella themed plot. The story is well written, both sweet and sad, making it a very entertaining read.
February 24, 2024
Me encantó. A mi sí me gustó la dinámica de poder 🤪 jaja.
April 27, 2023
4 stars
It's honestly been a while since I've found a historical romance I've enjoyed as much as this one. The general premise is that the ML sees the FL working as a maid for a cruel family and is struck by a need to help her despite their difference in their station as it were. The story that followed was incredibly well written, and personally, I enjoyed both the ML and the FL tremendously. The ML was kind, charming, and so understanding, while the FL was authentic in her wariness and delightful despite the years of abuse she had borne. There were a few things that bothered me a little, most of which I'll put in a spoiler tag below, but overall, I thought it was a very well-done iteration on Cinderella.
It's honestly been a while since I've found a historical romance I've enjoyed as much as this one. The general premise is that the ML sees the FL working as a maid for a cruel family and is struck by a need to help her despite their difference in their station as it were. The story that followed was incredibly well written, and personally, I enjoyed both the ML and the FL tremendously. The ML was kind, charming, and so understanding, while the FL was authentic in her wariness and delightful despite the years of abuse she had borne. There were a few things that bothered me a little, most of which I'll put in a spoiler tag below, but overall, I thought it was a very well-done iteration on Cinderella.
September 21, 2021
DNF 44%
May 8, 2022
Improper
Truly enjoyed this book, my first from this author and will be looking for more. The story of Ella and Nick, was written with passion and fire.
Truly enjoyed this book, my first from this author and will be looking for more. The story of Ella and Nick, was written with passion and fire.
June 12, 2022
I can suspend disbelief enough to swallow the plot, but can’t get past his steamrolling/high handed behavior given the power imbalance. DNF at 35%.
February 25, 2025
I am actually furious at the fact that this book had to end.
September 27, 2025
Book Name/Series: His Improper Proposal (His #4)
Author: Aydra Richards
Standalone?: Can be read as a standalone, but includes characters from other books.
3 Stars
My Opinion: I had mixed feelings about this book. There were parts I really enjoyed, but also elements that didn’t work for me.
I’m a fan of the poor main character/rich main character trope, especially when the rich character wants to spoil the poor character and give them everything they’ve been going without. This book delivered on that front, and I also enjoyed the chemistry between the characters with their banter and arguments being one of my favourite parts.
Unfortunately, this book did feature a plot point I really dislike: the “I’ve just learned something about my past and I no longer know who I am all of sudden, so we need to break up while I figure that out”.
I do also want to acknowledge that the hero does marry the heroine without her knowledge or consent, and that that there is a very clear power imbalance between the hero and heroine. This might bother some readers as the story partly revolves around her gaining autonomy and escaping the oppression of her “guardians”, and this could be seen as the hero taking the heroine’s choices away. However, these aspects didn’t personally bother me all that much.
Hero: 4/5. Nick (28) is the Marquess of Sinridge. I really liked him. As soon as he saw how Ella was being treated, he devised a plan to try to help her. He was attracted to her, but in the beginning, he just wanted to help her, get to know her and be around her which was really sweet. The thing I liked most about him was how much he wanted to spoil Ella and take care of her, but I also enjoyed his more possessive and protective side. Towards the end he did act a bit petulant, but I understood his behaviour, even if I wished he had handled it with more maturity.
Heroine: 3/5. Ella (20) had not had a n easy life. She had worked as a maid for the Cavendish family almost all her life and they were notoriously cruel to their staff, especially Ella. She did her best to just work hard and stay out of the way. Despite living an incredibly hard life, she persevered and kept going. I liked her, though at times her sudden confidence in arguing with Nick felt slightly unrealistic given her abusive upbringing. I get that she felt safe with him, but her boldness came on a little too quickly in my opinion.
POV: 3rd person POV (Ella and Nick).
Push/Pull:
Sadness: 1/5.
Explicit Sex and Spice Level: Yes. 1/5.
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) Drama: Not really.
Separation:
Cheating: No.
Closure/Ending: HEA.
Possible Triggers:
Author: Aydra Richards
Standalone?: Can be read as a standalone, but includes characters from other books.
3 Stars
My Opinion: I had mixed feelings about this book. There were parts I really enjoyed, but also elements that didn’t work for me.
I’m a fan of the poor main character/rich main character trope, especially when the rich character wants to spoil the poor character and give them everything they’ve been going without. This book delivered on that front, and I also enjoyed the chemistry between the characters with their banter and arguments being one of my favourite parts.
Unfortunately, this book did feature a plot point I really dislike: the “I’ve just learned something about my past and I no longer know who I am all of sudden, so we need to break up while I figure that out”.
I do also want to acknowledge that the hero does marry the heroine without her knowledge or consent, and that that there is a very clear power imbalance between the hero and heroine. This might bother some readers as the story partly revolves around her gaining autonomy and escaping the oppression of her “guardians”, and this could be seen as the hero taking the heroine’s choices away. However, these aspects didn’t personally bother me all that much.
Hero: 4/5. Nick (28) is the Marquess of Sinridge. I really liked him. As soon as he saw how Ella was being treated, he devised a plan to try to help her. He was attracted to her, but in the beginning, he just wanted to help her, get to know her and be around her which was really sweet. The thing I liked most about him was how much he wanted to spoil Ella and take care of her, but I also enjoyed his more possessive and protective side. Towards the end he did act a bit petulant, but I understood his behaviour, even if I wished he had handled it with more maturity.
Heroine: 3/5. Ella (20) had not had a n easy life. She had worked as a maid for the Cavendish family almost all her life and they were notoriously cruel to their staff, especially Ella. She did her best to just work hard and stay out of the way. Despite living an incredibly hard life, she persevered and kept going. I liked her, though at times her sudden confidence in arguing with Nick felt slightly unrealistic given her abusive upbringing. I get that she felt safe with him, but her boldness came on a little too quickly in my opinion.
POV: 3rd person POV (Ella and Nick).
Push/Pull:
Sadness: 1/5.
Explicit Sex and Spice Level: Yes. 1/5.
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) Drama: Not really.
Separation:
Cheating: No.
Closure/Ending: HEA.
Possible Triggers:
October 10, 2024
I enjoyed this book. Finished it in one sitting too!! The plot is essentially about Ella, a quiet yet stubborn servant who has some serious notions about class differences and proprieties in society. Nickolas a Marquess meets her accidently in the house of her employer (a terrible family who's been stealing her allowance and all the money of her properties without permission plus treating her with the worst way possible as a servant) and he falls for her.
Then he proceeds to try and convince him to come to his house for employment by the help of her friend in the house.
I really had fun with this one although it fell a little flat with me in the pacing of their relationship sometimes it was moving at a really slow pace and then suddenly bam they're married, they're in love, they wanna be intimate. Gave me a whirlwind because I couldn't keep up.
I really loved the plotpoint where he tricks her into Marrying her by signing a contract that was supposedly solidifying her position as a mistress(but he loves her so much and feels she doesn't deserve such a rank) so he tricks her into Marrying him because she shouldn't read. Hope the author had expanded more on this point. PLUS REALLY MAD HE DID NOT GROVEL MORE. this had the potential to be such a good grovel book but she forgave him wayy to quickly 😭 like bestie I would have given him hell with that especially with the way her charachter was presented and built throughout the story. She has some serious self doubts and insecurities regarding her rank and duty in life so it would make sense that such a point wouldn't pass by as quickly as it did.
Ofcourse she had to be a born duchess at the end and it all gets solved (which is a hit dissapointing as well even though we've known about it since page one from the prologue. Would have loved to delve deeper into this aspect of the story the difference in social classes, the treatment and opportunities based on that plus how society would treat her and how she'd get to develop from this.
The part at the end where she goes away for a while to try and reclaim her wealth and name is so fun to me because at this point Nick is so overbearingly posessive and overprotective of her he keeps trying to chase all her Suitors away by waiting I'm the call room and not leaving eventually she just gave up and accepted his proposal but this part lives rent free in my head thank you next.
Their wasn't much talk about their backgrounds especially nick we didn't really get to explore his chrachter in depth which makes it a first time I've read an MC in a historical who didn't have at least some mommy, daddy or friend issues/problems that spanned over the course or years lol 😭. He was very sweet and kind as well with her but one thing to note there was definetly a power imbalance that you can feel between them which made the romance seem unfair for a bit
.
Fun read!!!
Secret_manhwa_angel PEACE OUT💗🎀
Then he proceeds to try and convince him to come to his house for employment by the help of her friend in the house.
I really had fun with this one although it fell a little flat with me in the pacing of their relationship sometimes it was moving at a really slow pace and then suddenly bam they're married, they're in love, they wanna be intimate. Gave me a whirlwind because I couldn't keep up.
I really loved the plotpoint where he tricks her into Marrying her by signing a contract that was supposedly solidifying her position as a mistress(but he loves her so much and feels she doesn't deserve such a rank) so he tricks her into Marrying him because she shouldn't read. Hope the author had expanded more on this point. PLUS REALLY MAD HE DID NOT GROVEL MORE. this had the potential to be such a good grovel book but she forgave him wayy to quickly 😭 like bestie I would have given him hell with that especially with the way her charachter was presented and built throughout the story. She has some serious self doubts and insecurities regarding her rank and duty in life so it would make sense that such a point wouldn't pass by as quickly as it did.
Ofcourse she had to be a born duchess at the end and it all gets solved (which is a hit dissapointing as well even though we've known about it since page one from the prologue. Would have loved to delve deeper into this aspect of the story the difference in social classes, the treatment and opportunities based on that plus how society would treat her and how she'd get to develop from this.
The part at the end where she goes away for a while to try and reclaim her wealth and name is so fun to me because at this point Nick is so overbearingly posessive and overprotective of her he keeps trying to chase all her Suitors away by waiting I'm the call room and not leaving eventually she just gave up and accepted his proposal but this part lives rent free in my head thank you next.
Their wasn't much talk about their backgrounds especially nick we didn't really get to explore his chrachter in depth which makes it a first time I've read an MC in a historical who didn't have at least some mommy, daddy or friend issues/problems that spanned over the course or years lol 😭. He was very sweet and kind as well with her but one thing to note there was definetly a power imbalance that you can feel between them which made the romance seem unfair for a bit
.
Fun read!!!
Secret_manhwa_angel PEACE OUT💗🎀
June 17, 2022
2 1/2 stars. I like the author's writing style, but this was disappointing. I don't know why she turns male characters who are sweethearts when they play secondary roles in her books into alpha-jerks when they become the H in their own book. I read this just because I liked Nick in the previous book in this series; he seemed kind and level-headed, especially compared to James. In this loose homage to "Cinderalla", his character starts off as a good-natured guy who just wants to help the h, Ella, escape her dire circumstances as a maid in an abusive household. He pretends to court the family's youngest daughter, who is supportive of Ella and wants to help her as well. So far so good.
Then Ella is assaulted by the family's nasty son (trigger warning for attempted rape), she attacks him in self-defense, and around the 20% mark she escapes to Nick's home. And this is where the dynamic between H/h starts to go downhill IMO.
Once Ella is safe, Nick gets bossy. He decides that he doesn't want Ella to be his maid, but his companion (??). This is patently ridiculous, of course, because he has no need for one, and it's a recipe for Ella's ruination. She could have easily been hired on in his sister's household. But no, he insists on her being his companion, and also makes it clear that he's interested in her sexually. He'd rather she be his mistress, but since she's an innocent, she can be his "companion" for now.
This could have been handled less crassly. Their first kiss could have been much sweeter, leading to a slow-burn romance that would have been more appropriate, considering what Ella's been through with all of the lechers in her life. But, typical of this author, the love scenes border on the non-consensual. Even though Nick tells Ella she can say no, he is physically aggressive, and obviously has the power in their relationship. After all, as the book makes clear time and time again, Ella has nowhere else to go.
The power imbalance doesn't get any better. There's an even more ridiculous situation that arises involving Nick tricking Ella regarding her status in his household. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but the theme seems to be that H knows best.
Meanwhile, there's a flatness to Ella's personality that remains through much of the book. This is similar to the h's in the author's other books. They're always slightly distant. Obviously Ella has been through trials in her life, but as a reader, it's hard to sense the character beyond the facade.
I basically skimmed over the last 20% of the book. Too bad, this could have been a good read. The dialog is generally clever. I just don't think this author is for me.
Then Ella is assaulted by the family's nasty son (trigger warning for attempted rape), she attacks him in self-defense, and around the 20% mark she escapes to Nick's home. And this is where the dynamic between H/h starts to go downhill IMO.
Once Ella is safe, Nick gets bossy. He decides that he doesn't want Ella to be his maid, but his companion (??). This is patently ridiculous, of course, because he has no need for one, and it's a recipe for Ella's ruination. She could have easily been hired on in his sister's household. But no, he insists on her being his companion, and also makes it clear that he's interested in her sexually. He'd rather she be his mistress, but since she's an innocent, she can be his "companion" for now.
This could have been handled less crassly. Their first kiss could have been much sweeter, leading to a slow-burn romance that would have been more appropriate, considering what Ella's been through with all of the lechers in her life. But, typical of this author, the love scenes border on the non-consensual. Even though Nick tells Ella she can say no, he is physically aggressive, and obviously has the power in their relationship. After all, as the book makes clear time and time again, Ella has nowhere else to go.
The power imbalance doesn't get any better. There's an even more ridiculous situation that arises involving Nick tricking Ella regarding her status in his household. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but the theme seems to be that H knows best.
Meanwhile, there's a flatness to Ella's personality that remains through much of the book. This is similar to the h's in the author's other books. They're always slightly distant. Obviously Ella has been through trials in her life, but as a reader, it's hard to sense the character beyond the facade.
I basically skimmed over the last 20% of the book. Too bad, this could have been a good read. The dialog is generally clever. I just don't think this author is for me.
November 9, 2025
I decided very early on that I was going to finish this book out of sheer hate which is a pity as I had it in my library for so long thinking I’d like it. It was really a chore to finish, I’m not going to lie. I disliked the mmc and thought he was a grade B creep. I wished more people in that book would tell him about how predatory he was being but everyone indulged him, turned a blind eye and acted like his behavior was totally normal. From the moment the mmc saw the fmc, his main goal was to get the fmc in his house and in his bed. He is a sleazy creep who feels like he is a cut above the rest of the male population who has harassed the fmc but is really cut from the same cloth. Pressing her into kisses, ordering her around, not even pretending to treat her like staff, making and instructing the modiste to make her lingerie? Oh I’m sure, FREAK.
They formed not one bond or interesting interaction that would make his insistence upon her time and person not appear creepy. I have no idea how or why them even fell in love. Tbh the mmc is giving I found a pretty girl that’s easy to manipulate and perhaps if he and the book was aware of that, he wouldn’t have been half as bad to me but instead the book is written as if he has to get her out of a terrible situation because he cares for her and he’s a good person. When Jem came in and was telling them about how anyone would assume she’s his mistress, I cheered but the swiftness in which this author made him eat his words? AUTHOR U SUCK. The fmc is naive. Theres no constant in her personality either. Is she a servant who doesn’t have a voice or if she a lady who is poised? The author doesn’t seem to know. The only saving grace for this stupid book is Cordelia and Jem. Loved them down. The confrontation made me sit up a bit but Mr.Cavendish and James carried it on their backs.
They formed not one bond or interesting interaction that would make his insistence upon her time and person not appear creepy. I have no idea how or why them even fell in love. Tbh the mmc is giving I found a pretty girl that’s easy to manipulate and perhaps if he and the book was aware of that, he wouldn’t have been half as bad to me but instead the book is written as if he has to get her out of a terrible situation because he cares for her and he’s a good person. When Jem came in and was telling them about how anyone would assume she’s his mistress, I cheered but the swiftness in which this author made him eat his words? AUTHOR U SUCK. The fmc is naive. Theres no constant in her personality either. Is she a servant who doesn’t have a voice or if she a lady who is poised? The author doesn’t seem to know. The only saving grace for this stupid book is Cordelia and Jem. Loved them down. The confrontation made me sit up a bit but Mr.Cavendish and James carried it on their backs.
Currently Reading
September 5, 2022 He then goes about trying to show her that she can always say no...by literally sweeping her off of her feet and into his lap and telling her she can say no while kissing her. Really. The whole scene made me pissed off.
He tries to act like a savior and all horrified at the thought that male employers would take advantage of their female staff and yet he does the same thing the first day she's been in his home! After he quite literally wines and dines her (she has subsisted her whole life on porridge and some watery stew and stale bread). As if she's not entirely unsure of her situation and like she might not sense the implication that she has no other choice but to accept his advances otherwise her prospects will be even more dire.
I wish the author had made this a bit more of a slow-burn romance and been more sensitive to the issue of consent for women and servants. The way she went about it had me shaking my head. The H might have had good intentions in the beginning but his dick quickly takes over.
As others have mentioned, the stabbing and it's kind of just brushed over and forgotten. And what about Cordelia? The FMC and her were apparently somewhat close and yet she doesn't worry about what happened to Ella or why her brother has a stab wound?
He tries to act like a savior and all horrified at the thought that male employers would take advantage of their female staff and yet he does the same thing the first day she's been in his home! After he quite literally wines and dines her (she has subsisted her whole life on porridge and some watery stew and stale bread). As if she's not entirely unsure of her situation and like she might not sense the implication that she has no other choice but to accept his advances otherwise her prospects will be even more dire.
I wish the author had made this a bit more of a slow-burn romance and been more sensitive to the issue of consent for women and servants. The way she went about it had me shaking my head. The H might have had good intentions in the beginning but his dick quickly takes over.
As others have mentioned, the stabbing and it's kind of just brushed over and forgotten. And what about Cordelia? The FMC and her were apparently somewhat close and yet she doesn't worry about what happened to Ella or why her brother has a stab wound?
February 16, 2026
I liked this, but something about this relationship just lacked chemistry for me.
Plot:
- h grew up as a maid in an abusive household
- unknown to her, she's actually the daughter of a deceased duke and placed in the care of this family. They received a stipend for taking care of her that would end when she was 21 or got married.
- h is cleaning up glasses left over in the garden during a ball and H overhears her complaining. He doesn't know why he's drawn to her, and offers to help. However, he accidentally causes her to tip her tray and drop the glasses. This results in the lady of the household she works for to slap her
- H decides to call on one of the daughters of the household (the shy but nice one) in order to see how h is faring. The girl catches on and tells him all about h. They come to an agreement where H will pretend that he's courting her to see more of h, and in exchange he'll help find her a nice husband
- H offers h a job at his estate, but its not until h almost gets raped by the son in the household that she runs away and takes H up on his offer
- h is to be his companion, despite the dismay of some of his staff
- eventually, H convinces h to be his mistress, but unbeknownst to her, the contract she signed was actually a marriage license and she's his wife
- they stay at his country home, where h believes she's his mistress. H just told the staff that h didn't like to be addressed by her title, and the entire staff believe she's his wife
- H's friend's wife realizes why h looked so familiar. She looks exactly like her mother, a deceased duchess. They reveal that h is actually nobility and that the household she worked for had been lying to her all along.
- H reveals that they're actually married, but H's friend's wife argues that her real name was not used and their marriage is actually not valid. Instead, she takes h under her wing where she becomes an extremely popular eligible lady.
- H's brother marries the daughter he pretended to court
- Eventually he convinces h to marry him
Plot:
- h grew up as a maid in an abusive household
- unknown to her, she's actually the daughter of a deceased duke and placed in the care of this family. They received a stipend for taking care of her that would end when she was 21 or got married.
- h is cleaning up glasses left over in the garden during a ball and H overhears her complaining. He doesn't know why he's drawn to her, and offers to help. However, he accidentally causes her to tip her tray and drop the glasses. This results in the lady of the household she works for to slap her
- H decides to call on one of the daughters of the household (the shy but nice one) in order to see how h is faring. The girl catches on and tells him all about h. They come to an agreement where H will pretend that he's courting her to see more of h, and in exchange he'll help find her a nice husband
- H offers h a job at his estate, but its not until h almost gets raped by the son in the household that she runs away and takes H up on his offer
- h is to be his companion, despite the dismay of some of his staff
- eventually, H convinces h to be his mistress, but unbeknownst to her, the contract she signed was actually a marriage license and she's his wife
- they stay at his country home, where h believes she's his mistress. H just told the staff that h didn't like to be addressed by her title, and the entire staff believe she's his wife
- H's friend's wife realizes why h looked so familiar. She looks exactly like her mother, a deceased duchess. They reveal that h is actually nobility and that the household she worked for had been lying to her all along.
- H reveals that they're actually married, but H's friend's wife argues that her real name was not used and their marriage is actually not valid. Instead, she takes h under her wing where she becomes an extremely popular eligible lady.
- H's brother marries the daughter he pretended to court
- Eventually he convinces h to marry him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2025
It's a goofy Cinderella retelling with a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense and isn't historically accurate or authentic at all. I usually like my histrom to take itself a little more seriously than this, but damn if I didn't relish every word.
This is old-school histrom where power imbalances and consent issues are the whole point. I usually don't like that in a serious story but this was so clearly an escapist fantasy pandering to saviour kink that I couldn't give an f. I would never accept "oh but he loves her so much" as an excuse for reprehensible behaviour, especially for the FMC's "own good", but in this story I ate it with a spoon like ice cream. Nick is insanely, desperately in love and he runs the gamut from benevolent saviour to exploitative, selfish asshole to such a possessive caveman it's almost a red flag. In short, it's exactly the kind of desperate, I-will-die-if-I-don't-have-you fantasy fodder I want to eat whole. It's such a cute, silly story with such big, intense feelings that I never wanted it to end. Five stars, easy.
This is old-school histrom where power imbalances and consent issues are the whole point. I usually don't like that in a serious story but this was so clearly an escapist fantasy pandering to saviour kink that I couldn't give an f. I would never accept "oh but he loves her so much" as an excuse for reprehensible behaviour, especially for the FMC's "own good", but in this story I ate it with a spoon like ice cream. Nick is insanely, desperately in love and he runs the gamut from benevolent saviour to exploitative, selfish asshole to such a possessive caveman it's almost a red flag. In short, it's exactly the kind of desperate, I-will-die-if-I-don't-have-you fantasy fodder I want to eat whole. It's such a cute, silly story with such big, intense feelings that I never wanted it to end. Five stars, easy.
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