A Duchess a Day audiobook

probably just because shadow and bone is fresh in my mind but i got some helnik vibes

What a fun bodyguard, forbidden romance! From the start, I was hooked on this book. Declan is in jail for crime he didn't commit and the only way he can get out is if he is a bodyguard for Helena and ensure she does not run away from her betrothal to an insufferable duke. I loved the chemistry between Declan and Helena and how much Declan was trying not to fall for her since his future depended on having her marry the duke. I loved how the seven dwarfs were integrated into the story and it was fun watching Helena and Declan run around trying to find women who would be suitable brides for the duke so that Helena could be free. The romance even got a little angsty at the end, which I loved. This was just a fun romance and I would definitely recommend it!

　　　Lady Helena Lark, an heiress with a plan, has spent years trying to escape her betrothal and pending wedding to the drunk and dull Duke of Lusk, Bradley Gridleston. She’s evaded, refused, and even ran away—more than a handful of times. When her family’s patience runs out, they pack her off to London to walk down the aisle but Helena has another idea—find a more suitable bride to take her place, even if she must look for a replacement duchess every day (which later to be revealed as a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs reference) that prompts an unlikely alliance with Declan Shaw, better known as “The Huntsman,” who is a mercenary who can pick and choose his clientele. After his last job, escorting a young noblewoman, Knightly Snow, to France, landed him in jail under false accusations, he wants nothing to do with aristocrats or women but the law isn’t done with him, and if he agrees to babysit a duke’s errant fiancé, the payout could make his legal troubles go away. When their polar opposite worlds collide, Declan realizes that containing his new client is only slightly harder than keeping his hands off her while Helena senses an ally in her handsome new bodyguard and solicits his help. Together they must escape the forces that oppose them and fight for the fairy-tale love they desire, leaving readers with a strong lasting impression. Embarking on this read, I am shook. This was waaaaaay better than I had originally expected and to think I wasn’t going to request this ARC on Netgalley but thank goodness I ignored my stupid thoughts and took the plunge. Helena was hands down one of the best heroines I have read in a historical romance in a very long long time! She oozes confidence, was playful and forward with Declan, and remained true to herself throughout the novel. Declan and Helena had a great balance in their romance. There wasn’t any winey, woe me moments and they took a realistic approach to their bubbling relationship (pros/cons) and made it work. They complimented each other so well despite their backgrounds and I instantly fell in love with these characters and that also included the sides Knightly (she’s a riot!) and Lusk (more so after Knightly resurfaces). I sincerely hope the next installment to the series, ‘When You Wish Upon a Duke’, features Knightly and Lusk. The Duke truly did awakened by a kiss before doing a 180 when she came out of hiding. He was no longer dull, boring, drunk and a pushover when it came to his uncle. I really need more of this couple now and I would be utterly devastated if we don’t get to see more of them in the future. My fingers are crossed!

Look, we're gonna rave about this one, because it's exactly what we want in a romance: a lighthearted bodyguard romance with a riff on Disney's Snow White and two main characters who fall for each other immediately? Yes, please!⁠⁠It's difficult to convey just⁠ how much fun we had reading this book, so we'll just leave you with a sample of our actual super serious notes for this one: ⁠⁠They can’t keep their hands off of each other and I loved it so much. I love scenes where they keep saying “we should stop” “yeah we should” *smooch smooch* “okay I’m stopping now” “me too” *kiss kiss* “no seriously stop kissing me” “I am stopping” *they both carry on kissing* This is EVERY SINGLE MAKEOUT SCENE until they finally get married and I loved it. Like LOVED it.⁠⁠Just read this freaking book, OK?⁠4-Word Summaries:⁠Laine:⁠ His freedom or hers?⁠⁠Meg: Leggo the Huntsman, Snow!

So I finished today. It was a really sweet story. I am sitting at 4 stars with it. I really liked.. The unique story was fun. I liked the set up and the interactions that Declan and Helena had. She was so smart and her plans for getting out of her betrothal are really fun. I really liked that they were on the same side for a good part of the book. I loved their marriage in the dead of night. And I also loved that this Snow White part of this was about Knightly and not about Helena. I was getting a bit confused about that, but I liked where it went eventually. It was sweet, sexy, and fun. I can't really say that I disliked much of it, I just also don't think it will stick with me longer than a week or 2. Like, it doesn't stand out or anything.

4.5 stars!In the five years she’s been betrothed to the Duke of Lusk, Lady Helena Lark has tried everything she can think of to escape the match. The man is wholly uninterested in marrying, but her refusals have nonetheless all failed and her family is determined to see the lucrative match finally come to fruition. But Helena has one last idea to make good on her escape: find another bride for Lusk.Declan Shaw, a former soldier turned mercenary, better known as The Huntsman, is well-known for his skill and has his pick of wealthy clients. His last job seeing a young noblewoman to the south of France ended in disaster, with Declan imprisoned and falsely accused of kidnapping his charge. He’s not interested in having anything further to do with the aristocracy, but is left little choice if he hopes to be released from prison so he agrees to mind the duke’s fiancé and see she makes it down the aisle.But when Declan meets Helena, he finds her utterly irresistible. She senses his reluctance to aid the duke and enlists him as an ally. Against his own rules forbidding involvement with a client, Declan is soon all in with Helena, helping her enact her plan to see herself free of Lusk and securely in Declan’s arms instead.I do love a good fairytale retelling, and this was a cute one. I’ve never read anything quite like it and while some of the plot points still don’t quite make sense to me, I really don’t even mind. I adored Declan as the initially somewhat reluctant hero. Once he decided he was all in, there was no hesitation and he was fully committed to Helena. She was just as steadfastly loyal to him and their determination to be together no matter what made this a delight to read. I loved that Helena was fiercely determined to have her freedom and make her own way, but she never came off as shrewishly insufferable or arrogant as is the case so often with heroines lately. Instead, she was willing to reevaluate and admit to being wrong, considering Declan’s feelings along with her own. I enjoyed picking out all the nods to Snow White and they gave this regency a refreshingly whimsical feel. I’m continuing this series and looking forward to the next fairytale.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read many Beauty and the Beast retellings. I love a good fairy tale. This is my first Snow White retelling and my first book by Charis Michaels and I am 100% sold on both! I think I fell a little in love with Declan as the Huntsman and certainly loved his and Helena's love story. It was fun and light and just steamy enough to keep you wanting a little more. Their story resolved in such a clever way and I can't wait for the next book!

4.5 stars Amazing novel, definitely a new favorite.

Truly a 4.5 star rating.I loved this a whole lot! This was much more of a Snow White and the Huntsman retelling than I had thought I was going to get, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Especially the tie in with the dwarves. 🤣Both Helena and Declan were loveable characters in their own way, though I can see people having a tough time loving Helena in parts of this story.I was loving all of the stolen steamy moments between our couple, and when they finally became one, I thought it was very sweet and genuine, with all of the cards on the table at the time it happened.I am looking forward to exploring more from this author, and will DEVOUR any sequel that comes out in this series!

AHHHH this was so good! A reimagining of Snow White, a forbidden romance, many MANY make out sessions, a strapped hero, a heroine who can’t keep her hands off him, delicious chemistry, I enjoyed this way more that I was expecting.

A Duchess a Day is a fun, smart, and romantic love story. The novel focuses on Declan Shaw and Lady Helena Lark, a mercenary and an heiress. Declan is a mercenary wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he has the opportunity to be released with the agreement to serve as an heiresses bodyguard, Declan reluctantly takes the offer. Helena is an heiress who has been trying to break her engagement to a disinterested, inebriated, and philandering fiancee for five years.An unwilling participant in an arranged marriage, Helena refuses to be a pawn in her parents’ greedy schemes, especially when her marriage will result in the destruction of the land that she holds dear. Helena determines, with Declan’s help, to find other suitable women to entice her betrothed and, hopefully, break the engagement. However, neither Helena nor Declan planned to develop feelings for each other, especially considering the impossible positions they are both in. How can they be together when life threatens to tear them apart?I loved Helena and Declan’s story. They are so different, yet they complement each other well. Declan is tough, while Helena is naive. He is experienced, and she is innocent. However, both are passionate, strong, and stubborn, and they both have a quick wit, which adds to their fantastic chemistry. They also seem to understand each other well. As both characters are misunderstood and used, Helena and Declan are drawn to one another. I loved how their relationship blossomed.Unfortunately, Declan doesn’t feel like he is good enough for Helena. She is an heiress, and he is a mercenary. He has the threat of prison looming over him, and he has three family members to care for. He doesn’t want to burden her with his problems. Helena, in turn, feels invisible and helpless and has no one to turn to. She hates the vapid, materialistic society that her parents have forced her to be a part of and wishes to return to her quieter life at her apple orchard. Declan is the first person to really see her, understand her, and support her. The pair brings out the best in each other, and their characters are dynamically developed.A Duchess a Day is a witty and swoon-worthy historical romance with dynamic protagonists and a well-paced plot. Readers who enjoy feisty main characters and a HEA will love this story! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Avon for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

What a sweet, fun, and adorable forbidden-love romance! 😍😍 I was hooked right from the start and I never found a moment I would call dull. I really really loved it!Declan is freshly out of jail, where he was sentenced for a crime he did not commit, on a condition that he has to pose as Helena's groom to keep an eye on her and ensure that she marries the Duke of Lusk - Bradley. Helena is the heiress of a huge orchard of apples, which she'll have to give away to the drunk and dull Duke if she marries him. He and his uncle plan to remove the orchard and mine for limestones there instead. In order to protect her precious trees, she has refused, evaded, shown signs of madness, and even ran away a couple of times — but to no avail. But, Helena has another idea to avoid marrying the Duke — find a much better suited wife for him, who will make him fall head over heels for her and eventually the Duke will refuse to marry Helena! This begins her search for potential Duchess and she interviews one potential duchess a day.I really loved the Declan and Helena through the story. They were caring and supportive, towards each other as well as other people and things in their lives. They were resilient and brave, yet showed signs of vulnerability. The chemistry between them was epic and even though there wasn't a lot of smut in this book, I could feel the tension between the two. They just worked great together.I really enjoyed how the author used the Seven Dwarfs reference in the story. I think it was pretty clever. The writing style was good too. It was easy breezy and made it a fast read.My only complaint was that there was absolutely no personality to the Duke of Lusk. For about 85% of the book, he's either not there at all or is drunk and indisposed. Which does not make for interesting story where he is supposed to be a villain. I mean, sure the uncle posed as a villain mainly but we never get to know why Declan let his uncle control a majority of the narrative. It felt as if, the Duke was mostly asleep through most of the book only to rise and provide an HEA to the story.