A wonderful story. Really enjoyed both MCs. Great innocence and passion without an overdose of spice (just enough of the latter!). ( )

Evie Harlow runs a run-down bookshop in London. When Max, Duke of Westbourne, makes her an offer to turn her into a society lady, she refuses but is forced to reconsider when disaster strikes her shop.
This is more of a My Fair Lady story than Cinderella; Max only makes his offer because of a bet. Evie is turned into a diamond, and like Henry Higgins, Max is the one who falls in love. It's a great retelling with interesting characters, both main and side. Max is divorced, which adds some scandal to his efforts. Evie is shy but willing to follow her dreams despite her anxieties. It's a fun story as the pair work through the complications and disasters of their joint endeavors. Another great story from Ms. Guhrke. ( )

I enjoyed this book! It has been a while since I last picked up a historical romance and this book was a great opportunity to jump back into the genre. It was so easy to slip inside this delightful story full of characters that came alive on the page. I quickly became invested in Evie and Max’s well-being and couldn’t wait to see them find their happily ever after.

I liked Evie and Max a lot. Evie has spent her life working and doesn’t expect too much out of life. Max is a Duke but he sees something in Evie and makes a wager that if given the time he can turn her into the most sought-after lady at the ball. I thought that the chemistry between these two was incredibly well done and I couldn’t wait to see things work out for them. A few times, I was worried about how they might deal with the things happening in their lives that were out of their control.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical romance. I thought this was a remarkable story full of great characters and just the right amount of swoon-worthy moments. I cannot wait to read more of this series!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Forever. ( )

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
Bookshop Cinderella is the first book in the newest series by Laura Lee Guhrke. It has been so long since I have read anything by this author, and I will admit that I was drawn to this one when I saw the title and the cover. It had me super intrigued and I have such a soft spot for any type of retelling. So if you love cinderella retellings, then I do recommend this one. Its a loose retelling though but still a fun way that the author implemented this book and actually had some healthy communication that was implemented and I really respect that this author was willing to go that route for sure. What we see in this one here though is a fun bet, a bookish heroine, class differences and some pining from the hero. So definitely has many elements that will appeal to many readers, and if you love historical romance, I highly recommend this one. It had such a solid balanced amount of factors that we all love to see in a historical romance and Gurhke really delivered on this one for me.

Summary
Evie Harlow runs a bookshop in London, and she runs her own business that her father left to her and she was able to get her family out of debt and be independent and fight for women’s voting rights. She enjoys her life but she also aches for something more and she doesn’t realize what she was missing until she meets Maximillian, the Duke of Westbourne. From their first meeting, their was a spark of attraction between Evie and Max. When Max runs into some acquaintances from school, claiming that no one in the Ton would have Evie, Max knows that there is a beauty that shines from within and is determined to show these shallow men what one can do if they have the will and determination. So he makes a bet with them that he can turn her into a victorian era Cinderella and that she will have a full dance card at the upcoming ball. Immediately Max goes to Evie and they join forces to win this bet and for Evie to have an adventure she never imagined for herself. What starts out as a playful bet, turns into something deeper when Max and Evie find a love neither expected to find…

My Outlook
Bookshop Cinderella was such a charming and lively romance that left me with a smile from beginning to the very end. I absolutely couldn’t get enough of these two. Seeing their interactions I was on the edge of my seat. I became quickly endeared by both of these characters. They both have such solid growth in this story and truly the author did a splendid job in focusing on their connection. We truly see what they have together and that spark of interest that begins to bloom the moment they are together more …..and more. Max may be a Duke, but he has suffered heartache, loss and betrayal. He knows that he needs to have an heir, but is still hurt by losing his previous wife who also spurned his heart and hasn’t been able to allow himself to open to anyone else until he meets Evie who shows him what loving someone and being loved in return can be like and that its worth fighting for. Evie on other hand, is more apprehensive of the class differences between them. She isn’t afraid of love but she knows that loving Max will come at a price, the price of never being together. She knows that they are too different and their lives could never be together and she can’t see herself being “duchess” material. But when Max comes to the point of realizing he can’t live without Evie, he will do whatever it takes to win Evie’s heart and mind. We see such determination from the hero to fight for his girl and seeing this sweet pining was so adorable. Even before he realizes that he loves her, he builds a connection with her and gives her these thoughtful gifts that are so endearing. I really appreciated seeing the interactions between Max and Evie. Their banter was so delightful and had me laughing all over the place. The pacing is steady and keeps you interested. Sometimes this author can be a hit or miss on the pacing, but this is so easy to read for a historical and I highly recommend this one. And if you are curious about the retelling, it really is just the aspect of seeing the change of appearance. So its probably closer to a Pygmalion retelling over a Cinderella one. But still wonderful in whichever way you look at it. I am very curious to see where the author will be taking this series moving forward and very thrilled for book 2.

There wasn’t too much I struggled with this one to be honest. The heroine was a bit frustrating in always pushing the hero away. I understand why she was, but it did stretch out a bit longer than I felt was fully necessary. But I did appreciate the heroine fighting for the hero in the end. That was quite refreshing to see, as its not very common.

Overall View
Bookshop Cinderella is a endearing and witty historical that delivered an impactful story that will capture the readers attention from the very beginning. You will be charmed by the humor, the easy way of reading it and the strong connection these two build between them! A SATISFYING GEM!

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 4
World Building:4
Cover:5
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Steam:3
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:5
Overall View: 4 ( )

The heroine runs a bookshop that the hero visited to give her a proposition: make her become a fashionable lady to win a bet. The heroine agrees after a disastrous event and is whisked off into the world of high society. The hero thinks lightly of the bet until he ends up falling in love with the heroine. Will the hero be able to convince the heroine to take a chance with him or will he let her go back to her bookshop?

This is the first book of the SCANDAL AT THE SAVOY series by Laura Lee Guhrke. The book is a historical romance with vibes from the Cinderella fairytale and She's All That movie. The main characters had strong presences in the book, though I liked the heroine more than the hero since she feels more relatable to me. I also liked certain secondary characters that supported the couple, especially the hero's cousins. I do think that the story could have been better with more details in certain areas of the story, like maybe placing some revelations earlier in the book. Overall, a nice first book to this Laura Lee Guhrke series and I look forward to reading future installments to it.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. ** ( )