Janice Preston  Cinderella and the Duke

I won this book way back in February at the Galentine's giveaway at The Unlaced Book Club.  This is the first book that I have read by Janice and it definitely won't be the last.

I loved this book so much that I didn't want it to end. 

Rosalind does like the aristocracy, she has some bad memories (that's more to do with her mother's family), and tries to avoid them, that is until she meets Leo Boyton (I will tell you more of him later).  

Rosalind or Ros has brought up her brother Freddie, and their step-sister Helena or Nell and step-brother Jack who is now known as Lord Lydney, Jack is away at school.  Freddie who was injured in carriage accident when Ros was 6 which was her birthday and her grandpa had made her a locket which she wears all the time, and Jack was 1, and their mother then married Lord Lydney, then when their mother died Ros took over the up bringing of Freddie, Nell and Jack and she has done this for the past 14 years and their is nothing that Ros won't do for her family and sometimes that can be a hindrance. 

  But when their step-father died his brother Sir Peter Tadlow was now the guardian of Ros and lets just say things don't go as they should have done. Ros and Freddie, (Ros is now going under a different name of Mrs Pryce who is a widow), have moved to a cottage on the Foxbourne Estate which is owned by Sir William Rockbeare (who is a friend of Ros's step-father).

  Ros and Freddie have got Nell to London and into the care of Nell's aunt Lady Glenlochrie, just so Sir Peter can't marry Nell to Viscount Bulbridge.

Now we meet Mr Boyton or Leo Alexander Beauchamp Sixth Duke of Cheriton, Leo is a widower and the head of a large extended family, his sister Cecily has been helping Leo bring up his three children since their mother was killed, Dominic the eldest, Alexander and Olivia the youngest.  Leo comes across as arrogant but underneath he does have a soft heart, also like Ros he puts his family first.

I won't go into to much detail from here, but lets just say Leo pushes and challenges Ros, especially when Leo and Ros help a little girl named Susie and there is a difference in how Leo and Ros want to bring up Susie, that's mainly because Ros feels that she is loosing her family and she doesn't has a purpose and she fights Leo right up until the end.

There is also Leo's cousin Mr Anthony Lascelles, who is not a very nice man.  Leo and his brother Vernon and Richard Lord Stanton are staying at Anthony estate, because Richard is looking for ponies for his wife Felicity.   For reasons that become apparent Leo and Anthony don't get on, and that really shows further on in the book. 

As I've said before I loved this book and it also made me cry, especially the end when Leo does something for Ros.  I'm not telling you what that is you will just have to read the book.

This book is a absolute must read and comes highly recommended.

I give this book 5/5 if I could I would give it more.

This book is released on July 1 and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk