Francesca:
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Think there's just something about a Cinderella retelling, am I right?
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Whether it's the grand ball or the
hidden identity, or maybe it's that
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romance that breaks all the rules.
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These stories just never get all, and
let me tell you, historical romance it's
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the perfect place to take those fairytale
vibes and turn them into pure magic.
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But now imagine if the hero is
the one that plays Cinderella or
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if the Prince isn't so charming.
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Or what about if the girl in the
glass slippers would rather burn
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them than wait to be rescued?
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Well, today we are diving into some
of the best historical romance,
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Cinderella retellings, where happily
ever after doesn't come easy, but
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when it does, it's worth every second.
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If that sounds like something that
you wanna read , stay tuned 'cause
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I've got five books that you need
to add to your TBR right now.
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Welcome to Reading Under the
Covers, a romance novel podcast
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where we chat fangirl and maybe
even swoon over our latest reads.
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I'm Francesca from under the covers book
blog, and today we are stepping into our
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glass slippers and talking Cinderella
Retellings in historical romance.
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Now, if you are doing Romanceopoly
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2025
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year long reading challenge.
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Then these books are perfect for
the Crystal Lake prompt, which is
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all about fairytale retellings.
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It's also about cozy fantasy, so it's
your choice which one you want to do.
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But if you wanted to look at a fairytale
retelling, then these books are going
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to fit perfectly into that prompt.
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And if this is the first time you're
hearing about Romanceopoly, it
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is a year long reading challenge
with tons of fun prompts.
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There's a cute little map that
you move your way through.
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And we even have special holidays
and even Readathon events.
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So I'm gonna leave a link to where
you can find out more information
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about the reading challenge
and you can join us anytime.
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It's lots of fun and it's a great
way for you to expand your reading
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horizons and read something that's
a little bit different that you may
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not have tried before, but hopefully
it helps you discover a new favorite.
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Now if you want even more Cinderella
inspired romance, that is not
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just historical, although I have
more historical romances as well,
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but also some contemporaries and
even fantasy slash paranormal.
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Then I have a full list on
the blog for you that is going
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to fill all of those needs.
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So I will leave a link in the
description box down below so you can
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head to the blog and check those out.
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I Personally think that this is
one of those tropes that Historical
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Romance does really, really well.
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I think it's just pure perfection and I
can't wait for you guys to read the five
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books that I have for you guys today.
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All right, so let's just get into it.
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So the first one is Marry Me at Midnight
by Felicia Grossman, which is Book one
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in the Once Upon the East End Series.
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This Cinderella retelling is
flipping the script because this
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time it's the hero who's the one
trapped in an impossible situation.
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So forget all about that helpless
heroine waiting for a Prince.
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Isabelle Lira is handling
business herself.
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Ever since her father died, his business
partners have been trying to push
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her out of the company that he built.
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And Isabelle, she knows
exactly what she needs to do.
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She has to marry someone that's
powerful enough to protect her
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stake in the business and fast.
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So she does what any logical
business woman would do.
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She throws a series of festivals and
invites every eligible Jewish bachelor
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to find a husband who won't betray her.
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No big deal.
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Then there's Aaron, who is a synagogue
custodian who has spent his whole life
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knowing that he would never be part
of the world that Isabelle lives in.
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He used to dream of having a family
and of belonging, but that's not
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his reality until Isabelle gives
him an offer that he can't refuse.
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Basically, he will help her weed
out any suitors who have hidden
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loyalties, and in return, she will
give him the money to start a new life.
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Just a business deal.
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No feelings, no complications,
but the more time that they spend
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together, weeding out of candidates.
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The more that Isabelle starts wondering if
she's looking for the wrong kind of match
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here, and Aaron starts to realize that he
might not be as invisible as he thought.
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So this book is all about breaking
barriers of class, society, and
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expectations, and proving that
love is not about where you
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belong, but who you belong with.
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If you love a strong, intelligent
heroine, then definitely marry
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me at midnight is the perfect
Cinderella inspired story for you.
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The second book is a very popular
book, and I think it's kind of
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timely that you take my suggestion
and read it because there will be a
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Netflix coming soon and it's an offer
from a gentleman by Julia Quinn.
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This is book three in
the Bridgerton series.
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It will be the basis of the next
season of the Bridgeton Netflix show.
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So be prepared and pick it up.
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Now.
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I think it's a perfect opportunity
and excuse now for this one.
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Everyone loves the masquerade ball, right?
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So what happens when it's not just
about the dancing and the champagne?
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But it's the only night that you'll
ever get to feel like yourself.
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Sophie Beckett was born into
the aristocracy, but thanks to
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her awful stepmother, she's been
treated like a servant for years.
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No grand ballgowns, no glittering parties.
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Just work, work and more work.
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But one magical night, the
servants help her sneak into lady
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Bridgerton's masquerade ball,
and suddenly Sophie gets to live.
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And in that single evening, she finds
herself waltzing in the arms of Benedict
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Bridgerton, the golden boy of the
ton, and a devastatingly handsome,
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and entirely out of her reach, man.
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But all the magic must
end at midnight, right?
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So Sophie flees before anyone learns
who she really is, and Benedict is
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left obsessed with finding the mystery
woman who stole his breath away.
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The problem is that he soon finds
himself drawn to another woman, a house
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maid who works for a cruel family.
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And yet somehow she looks so familiar.
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What makes this one so special is the
slow burn, the class difference, and
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the moment that Benedict realizes that
he doesn't just want the fantasy of
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his masked beauty, but he wants the
real complicated and passionate Sophie.
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But society says that their love
is impossible and he's gonna
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have to risk everything for her.
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this book is just pure Cinderella
swoon with the bridgerton
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charm, turned all the way up.
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If you love a good forbidden romance,
some secret identities and heroes who are
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just down bad for their heroine, then you
definitely need this one on your shelf.
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The next one is A Kiss at
Midnight by Eloisa James.
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It's book one in her fairytales series.
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And now for this one, imagine Cinderella,
but instead of a sweet starry eyed
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heroine dreaming of love, we've got
Kate Daltry, who is absolutely not
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here for any fairytale nonsense.
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Kate has been running her father's
estate ever since her horrible
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stepmother shoved her aside.
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While her useless and spoiled stepsister
gets to enjoy all of the perks.
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So now, because her stepsister can't
even handle her own engagement.
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Kate is being forced to pretend
to be her at a royal ball.
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And Yes, that's right.
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She's dressing up as her sister
and meeting a prince who's supposed
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to be marrying someone else.
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That's where Prince Gabriel comes in.
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He's rich, he's broody.
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And he's about to enter a totally
loveless but necessary marriage
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only for political reasons.
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He knows exactly what he should be
doing, which is wooing his future
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bride and securing his fortune.
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But then he meets Kate and she's this
opinionated, sharp, and very much not
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interested in his princely charm, which
of course makes her irresistible to him.
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Their chemistry is off the charts.
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Their banter is so good, and their
situation well, it's basically an
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absolute disaster waiting to happen.
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Let me tell you.
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So Kate knows that she's
got no future with a prince.
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Gabriel knows that he's supposed to
follow duty over desire, but then there's
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that one kiss at midnight and suddenly
everything feels way more complicated.
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If you love witty, strong
heroines, royalty falling for the
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wrong person and that delicious,
will they won't they attention?
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This one is definitely going to deliver.
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It's got all the Cinderella vibes, it's
got fancy dresses, deception, prince.
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But a heroine who refuses to be
rescued, and a hero who has no idea
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what to do with himself really.
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The next one is The Prince
who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins.
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This is Book one in the
Oxenberg Princes series.
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And it is the classic Cinderella story.
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A Prince, a Ball, a Girl with a Dream.
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But what if Cinderella was this
book loving Scottish woman with
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zero interest in fairytales?
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So that is Bronwyn Murdoch.
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She's got glasses, a serious
love for books, and absolutely
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no time for charming rakes.
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So while her ambitious stepmother
is trying to marry off her
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younger, prettier stepsisters.
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Bronwyn is just trying to survive
life at their beck and call.
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But then Prince Alexsey rolls into
town handsome and flirtatious royal,
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who's got trouble written all over him.
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Alexsey is living the dream.
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He's rich, rakish, and
absolutely not looking for love.
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But his medling grandmother
has other plans.
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She's forcing him to settle
down and he needs a plan fast.
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So he picks the last woman
that his grandmother would ever
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approve of Bronwyn And Bronwyn.
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She sees right through his act.
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This guy thinks he can charm her?
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Please.
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She's read way too many books to
fall for a prince's smooth lines,
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and maybe just, maybe it would
be fun to turn the tables on him.
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So she plays along figuring that she'll
give him a taste of his own game, but
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plot twist, the more that Alexsey spends
time with her, the more he realizes
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that he actually really likes her,
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and suddenly it's not a game anymore and
it's just this really fun and flirty book
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full of Scottish charm with a Cinderella
who doesn't really need a prince, but
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a prince that maybe actually needs her.
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If you love romances where the hero
falls first and hard, and you want to
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see a spoiled royal get totally wrecked,
then this is going to be a must read.
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And the last one here for today is
One Night With You by Sophie Jordan.
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This is book three in the derrings series.
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And you know how in Cinderella there's
this whole one magical night, and
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then everything changes kind of trope.
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Well, this one takes that
and makes it scandalous.
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So here's Lady Jane Guthrie.
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She's over it.
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She has spent years being treated
like a servant in her own family.
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She's stuck in the background while
everyone else gets to live their lives.
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But tonight, tonight is her night, She
sneaks out to a courtesans masquerade
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ball dressed in a gown that she
would never be allowed to wear, and
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she's ready to feel desired and free
and just absolutely reckless, and
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that's when she sees Seth Ruthledge.
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Once upon a time, Jane was in love with
Seth, but Seth, he was in love with her
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beautiful title, hungry Sister instead.
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Now, years later, he's back bitter
from the war he's convinced that love
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is a lie, and he's totally unaware
that the masked woman that's tempting
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him is the girl that he once ignored.
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Now Jane on the other hand,
she's not about to tell him.
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Of course.
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So what was supposed to be just.
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One night of passion turns into something
way more complicated between them.
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Seth can't stop thinking about the
mystery woman who lit him on fire and
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Jane, well, she knows that the second he
figures out who she really is, it's over.
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This book is sexy, emotional,
and full of longing.
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It's got the perfect mix of Cinderella
fantasy and the childhood crush trope.
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So if you love masquerade balls, hidden
identities and heroes, who are utterly
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ruined by one night with the right
woman, this one is the one for you.
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So what did you think?
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Those are the five books that I
think you should add to your TBR.
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If you want a little bit
of a Cinderella vibe.
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Which I think is perfect for the spring.
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And again, if you're doing romanceopoly,
these are also perfect for Crystal Lake.
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If you want even more Cinderella inspired
romances, I've got a full list on the
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blog, so be sure to check the description
box for that, but also let me know what
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is your favorite Cinderella retelling.
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Whether it's a historical or
any other genre, I would love
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to get your recommendations.
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I'm always looking for
more fairytale retellings.
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If you want even more recommendations,
don't forget to visit the blog
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at underthecoversbookblog.com.
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And if you're tuning in from YouTube, be
sure to like this video, subscribe to the
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channel and hit that bell notification so
you don't miss any videos that we post.
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Also, don't forget to subscribe
to our free substack so you get
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all of the latest content that we
post across all of our platforms.
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But that's all I have for you guys today.
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I can't wait to see your recommendations,
and I hope that you pick up a
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wonderful book to read this week.
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I'll see you in the next one.
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Bye.
