I liked the plot of the story and was hoping for a more developed story and characters. As a reader I'd appreciated for more details as the story unfolded. Without these details the story felt unbelievable or rushed.

Another great one with this series. Loved the leading lady- smart- strong- creative! The leading man was fun as well and into fashion! Love the setting, HEA, and Erica knowns how to write this time period so well.
can't wait for more of them!

This is romantic, sweet and entertaining. On the way to Cressmouth, Lady Isabelle's maid gets sick, so they have to stop at a posting house. With no one available to help her (except the man in the next room), Belle sleeps in her clothes the first night. After learning that her maid was going to be in the sickroom for several days, Belle asks the man next door, Calvin, to help unbutton her at night, and button her up in the morning. She has him sign a contact that said that was all the contact they would have. Until he shows her what he's doing in his room, then she asks to help. They have a chaste relationship, drinking tea, watching the sunset and working on the clothes that Calvin was designing. They fell in love, but she knew that she had to go home after Christmas and marry a lord. He wasn't interested in having a wife yet, he wanted to concentrate on the business. They make a spectacular couple, both are caring, quiet and talented. The end of the story was satisfying and shocking.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review.
-I really liked how the relationship between Calvin and Belle crept up slowly without anyone noticing. It was also unexpected to them because that wasn't the goal of them being together.
-Fun and sinful all in one, Belle shouldn't be in a man's room and Calvin has other things on his mind, like impressing a Duke, one with high standards.
-A bit of history into their past and a bit of dreaming into their future together or separated. It gave us a good idea of they were and what they could be.
-I thought some information/idea/sentiment was rehashed every few chapters which is why it didn't get a 5-star review.

Lady Isabelle Borland’s chaperone has taken ill and her reputation is put at risk. She decides to stay at an inn on the to her brother the Duke of Nottingvale’s Christmas party at Cressmouth. She encounters Calvin McAlistair and they are snowbound together at a posting-house. Calvin is a man trying to earn his way and start a new business venture that he hopes the Duke will invest in. Belle poses as an independent widow and Calvin becomes intrigued by her, the two have an instant attraction and romance, but will the lies and deception keep them apart when they meet again at the Duke’s estate? I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

Cressmouth - near Marlowe Castle - December 1814

Lady Isabelle (Belle) Borland is traveling by carriage with her lady’s maid, Ursula, to spend Christmas with her brother, the Duke of Nottingvale. Ursula has come down with influenza and is quite ill. Worried for her, Belle decides to stop at an inn and get a doctor for Ursula. As it is starting to snow, the inn is nearly full, but Belle is able to claim a room and the proprietor has a room set aside for others stricken with influenza. A doctor is expected to attend the patients.

Belle’s room is very small but she will try to make do until Ursula has recovered and they can resume their trip. Downstairs, Belle looks for an empty table for dinner and there are none. However, a gentleman asks her if she would like to join him and she agrees. She says that she is Mrs. Lepine, a widow and he is Mr. McAlistair.

Calvin McAlistair is a quiet man who enjoys his solitude. He is staying at the inn waiting for a friend to join him. They have formed a company called Fit for a Duke. It sells ready made clothing for people that is of excellent quality and much less expensive than made to fit clothing that is enjoyed by the ton. When ready, the presentation will be made to the Duke of Nottingvale as an investment.

The snowstorm turns into a blizzard meaning the people at the inn will be stuck for several days. Without the help of her maid, Belle shyly asks Calvin to unbutton and button her dresses in the morning and at night. She is embarrassed by it, but he is a total gentlemen and helps her. When she learns what he is doing, she, being a good watercolorist, requests to help him. Seeing her talent, he agrees.

As they spend time together working on his collection, they enjoy one another’s company. Belle loves sharing tea with him and painting as she watches Calvin work on his collection. Soon they begin to share kisses. When Belle realizes that the snowstorm has stopped and Ursula is recovering, she knows that kisses are not enough. How far will things go? Is there a future for her, a lady, and him, a commoner?

I really liked this book. Belle is a sensible woman with lots of talent that has yet to be recognized properly. Calvin is an extremely gifted tailor with the ability to makes both men’s and women’s clothes. Both are open to one another and don’t put on airs. The plot is quite unique and I enjoyed it very much.

Copy provided by NetGalley, Goodreads, and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Short and sweet, it's the kind of book I'd like to read while curled up on a comfy sofa. It has the right amount of fluffiness and chemistry, but it slowly fizzled out during the climax to the denouement. Still, I enjoyed reading this.

It tells the story of ambitious tailor Calvin McAlistair and Lady Isabelle, a daughter of a duke, who were trapped in an inn due to a snowstorm. Being a respectable lady in society, Belle poses as widow "Mrs. Lepine" to avoid gossip when she sought shelter at the inn, while Calvin just wants nothing but finish his designs in time to meet his investor. Of course, they cross paths, sparks fly, conflict ensues, grand gesture is made and voila! Happily ever after.

While some circumstances were too convenient for our couple, I love that the author explored more about Calvin and Belle's personalities despite the short length of the book. Calvin isn't the typical brooding, aloof alpha male. He's brooding, all right... but only because he enjoys his solitude. He's used to being alone, but he's also not the type of hero who detest companionships. He's ambitious and wants to make a name for himself -- not in high society, but in his "commoner" world.

Belle is also a lovely character. She appreciates her privilege, but she wants to explore life beyond the material possessions she has. Like Calvin, she wants to make a name for herself as an artist, not as some male pseudonym behind her artworks.

Overall, this is the type of feel-good book I'd like to pick up especially when on a reading slump.

Loved it! Set in a snowbound inn a few miles distance from Cressmouth (the village that celebrates Christmas all year round), Lady Isabelle finds herself assuming a fake name and identity to protect her reputation. After one night of sleeping in her clothes with her stays sticking into her tender flesh, she agrees to the assistance of a handsome young tailor in loosening her clothing but she does make him sign a contract that he must never in future divulge that he knows her. Over the course of two weeks their mutual admiration for each other’s talents deepens into romantic feelings. But Belle has been brought up to know her duty as a Duke’s daughter is to marry well and Calvin has no idea that she is from the highest echelons of the aristocracy. Things can not end well.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book. Both of the main characters were wonderful and the chemistry between them was so fantastic that even the scenes where they were just talking were steamy. I highly recommend this book!

Glad to slip into this one in a time long gone but still fun to read. Isabelle will give us quite the adventure on the way to a party. What she thinks will be innocent will take a different path which is the fun in it. The standards of the day made for stringent for the women. Thinking she is being clever it will show her the after effects which gives us delightful reading. The other fun thing is other than the fun they have is what Calvin thinks he does not have time for but haha. Things will take a twist with us taking it all in but this relationship give us the enjoyment we crave.

this was an interesting novella, I enjoyed both Belle and Calvin's characters and their banter and growing feelings, i enjoyed both backstories and the setup. Solid romance.

Dawn with a Duke by Erica Ridley was just a delight to read. Out of all the 12 Dukes of Christmas, this one is by far my favorite. Thank you to the author and publisher for the book through NetGalley for this copy. This review is my own opinion.

Lady Isabelle is snowbound at an inn. She in on her way to her brothers home in Cressmouth where she will spend Christmas. She is stuck at the inn along with her sick maid. She meets Calvin McAlistair who is also stuck at the inn. He is a tailor preparing a presentation to a Duke residing at Cressmouth. Turns out the Duke he is supposed to meet is none other than Lady Isabelle's brother.

This fun book has a snowstorm, paintings, tailoring, sick maids and lots of fun. It is definitely worth the read.

This is book is part of a series in Erica Ridley's 12 duke of Christmas. Basically it's about lady. Isabelle trapped in an inn during a snowstorm with the other guest Calvin. Isabelle poses as a widow for propriety sake. Calvin is trying to set up is own men clothing design.. Isabelle during this time helps Calvin with her talent as illustrator. and she need his help as a ladies maid.

This is a fun light hearted story that about two people overcoming status and expectation from other people. I enjoyed it.

4.5 stars

Lady Isabelle “Belle”, sister to Duke of Nottingvale is on her way to Cressmouth for Christmas when her maid takes ill and she insists they stop in Houville. Worried about ruining her reputation, she tells the innkeeper she is a widow, Mrs. Lepine, thinking they will only be there for one night. She is out of her element tries to make the best of things, but is unsure what she is supposed to do, as she has never been on her own before. She is looking at the crowded dining room and notices a handsome, well dressed man. He beckons her over and invites her to sit at his table. Grateful, Belle immediately takes a liking to the handsome stranger.

Calvin McAlister is in Houville preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime, he and his partner Jonathan MacLean have come up with a revolutionary idea – a line of ready-made formal wear for the average man. They will plan to sell or rent their cloths in shops, but primarily by mail order. Up until now it has been a dream, but the chance to have the Duke of Nottingvale as an investor could make that dream a reality. Calvin is a recluse by nature and feels uncomfortable in social situations, making his partnership with Jonathan perfect. Jonathan will handle the people and Calvin the clothes. So it makes no sense to him why he offered to share his table with the lovely stranger. As soon as he offers, he regrets his decision, but is delighted to discover, Mrs. Lepine feels just as awkward as he does and that he enjoys her company.

Belle and Calvin will grow much closer when a bout of the flu leaves the inn shorthanded and leaves Belle without a maid’s assistance in dressing – a task she hires Calvin to do! When he discovers what a talented artist she is, he hires her to finish painting his catalogue sketches. They are falling hard, but when the truth of who she is comes out, will their love survive?

This was a well written, nicely paced, absolutely delightful novella. Belle and Calvin are wonderful characters who are perfect for each other despite their social status disparities. This book had secondary characters, but they really play a very small role in the story, also this book was a bit steamier than the previous offerings in the series (not a complaint!) but it fit the story and I loved the ending. I am happy to recommend this book, it is the ninth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

‘Dawn with a Duke’ is part of the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, and the clever inclusion of the duke was very witty! Lady Isabella finds herself stranded in an inn, when her maid becomes ill with influenza and the weather makes the roads difficult to travel upon. Only one single room is available, so she decides to give herself a false name to protect her name (being unchaperoned), with her maid isolated in another part of the inn.
Here she meets Calvin MacAlistair who has the room next door to hers. When she is unable to undo the buttons on her dress, she seeks out Calvin’s assistance, and soon romance blossoms. Yet Bella is not all that truthful about her identity, posing a greater problem than either can imagine.
Both characters were delightful, and the chemistry is quite believable despite the shortness of the novella. A sweet and enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more in this series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Stranded in a country inn full to bursting due to a snowstorm Belle, a Duke’s daughter, must assume the character of Mrs. Lupine to avoid recognition. When her lady’s maid goes down sick with the flu she has to rely on the man next door, Calvin, to do her buttons so she can dress and undress. Soon she relies on him for more.
Belle’s life has been one of longing to be an artist but she must marry and become the perfect ton wife. Calvin’s dream is an innovative tailoring business for which he needs the Duke’s backing. With neither realizing who the other actually is will they be able to overcome the obstacles that lay in their paths to get to their dreams and true love?
This is a fun fluffy romp of a Christmas tale. The characters are appealing and well drawn. The plot is a bit hackneyed but she pulls it off. Obviously no duke’s daughter would choose a tailor nor would her family allow it but Ms. Ridley is able to get us to suspend our disbelief for a short while. I would recommend this book to my patrons but don’t believe I’d purchase it for our collection.

Ms. Ridley writes characters that all readers are able to relate to. Calvin and Isabelle are two people stuck in a snowstorm each coming to know that they belong together. That is, until Isabelle reveals her secret. This book is a wonderful Christmas romance.

That was so much fun. I can’t for the life of me think that it’s the least bit realistic for the time, but I enjoyed the ride too much to quibble over the historical accuracy of it. I thought Calvin was adorable. His social awkwardness found a twin in my own. Belle and her circumstances made me want to cry over all the opportunities her station in life were forcing her to forgo. I thought that together they made a very sweet pair, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what else was happening in Cressmouth while they were snowed in.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author through NetGalley.

Somewhat plain and not as exciting and sexy as I wanted the book to be but not horrible or something someone would not enjoy either.

I really enjoyed this book! It had a twist that I haven't read before. I will definitely be going back to read this whole series as this was the first one I've read. Makes a great stand alone book but I just didn't want it to end.