This is a charming story set around the Christmas holiday season.  It is an easy, fun read and I highly recommend it.

Lady Isabella and her maid, who she is extremely close to are traveling to her brother's estate to spend the Christmas season.  On the way, her maid becomes extremely ill and the snowy weather gets bad forcing them to  stop at an inn on the way.   They discover her maid has influenza.

Belle has had  propriety preached to her forever, she is the daughter of a Duke after all, and decides that for sake, she can't use her real name and title.  She poses as a well to do widow and meets Calvin, a tailor who is in the area to pitch a business idea to a potential investor.

They end up being snowed in at the inn and Belle has to call on Calvin's assistance to help with her buttons as her maid in incapacitated.

What follows is a slow burn of a romance where Belle and Calvin learn of each others dreams and talents and fall in love.

You may need to suspend your belief a time or two, but it is a gem of a romance and unless you are a real stickler for historical accuracy it shouldn't bother you.

I received an ARC of the book but any opinions expressed are my own

I have loved all of the 12 Dukes of Christmas books so far. Erica Ridley has such a way with her stories and characters. This is the story about Lady Isabelle a dukes daughter. But when her chaperone falls sick on the way to the party. Isabelle has no choice but to pretend to be a widow for her reputation. Calvin McAlistair’s plans change when he gets snowbound at the post house. This story has a funny turn of events. I really enjoyed this book.

This is a quick and steamy read set in the close confines of a posting house in winter. Dawn with a Duke is the 9th is a series of holiday themed stories all with some sort of Duke in each book. I liked Calvin our hero he was sweet and interesting, and I liked that he was more forward with his feelings that most heroes. Belle was a pretty good heroine, but I felt like she was a little be under developed. Overall I love forced proximity books so I enjoyed myself.

5 stars

Excellent story, I am enjoying the 12 Dukes of Christmas, though they are not all dukes.  This one is a talented tailior and he meets Lady Isabelle in an Inn close to Cressmouth.  I liked the interaction between Belle and Calvin and for the mahority of the books it's just kisses.  Calvin encourages Belle's artistic talents and she gradually sees that there is a different future available that isn't being a spinster or rich mans wife.  The book is quite a quick read and I think you will enjoy it,  It reads as a standalone, though other characters from the series do take part.  

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Lady Isabelle / Mrs. L’épine / Belle ends up stranded at a posting house when her maid/companions falls sick with the flu.  There is one tiny room for Belle and so she is separated for the duration from her maid and driver.   In order to remain respectable, she takes on the persona of a widow and gets a taste of independence.   She quickly realizes that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when she can’t dress/undress herself so she strikes up a friendship with the handsome bachelor, Mr. Calvin McAlister, next door.   Not only does Belle convince him to button/unbutton her dresses each day; she goes to work painting images for his catalogue.   Both have their moments of being socially awkward but soon realize that there is a strong attraction between them.  Calvin is wonderful and supportive, right up until Belle tells him who she really is and then his mind turns to the worst thoughts.   Belle is so used to doing what her family expects of her that she wasn’t prepared to do what was best for her and what she wanted; thankfully he maid, Ursula, is her champion and incredibly supportive.  One of my favourite lines by Ursula is  is “Don’t wait for a hero,Be one.”    Once again, Erica Ridley has written a story that I absolutely love.

An adorable holiday romp that I thoroughly enjoyed.  A lot of humor an heart packed within less than 200 pages.

This story had a lot of my catnip - forced proximity, class differences.

Calvin was such a fantastic hero.  He was a genuinely good guy and I loved reading about a working man, in this case a tailor and clothing designer, which is the first time I've ever read a hero have this type of career in a historical romance!  He also was progressive and supportive of Belle's dreams, which is a sexy characteristic in a hero.

Lady Isabella was a fun heroine who wanted more from her life from what society dictated.  Great moment when she found her strength and followed her heart.

Together, trapped in an inn for a couple of weeks, it was such a fun ride watching these two get to know each other and fall in love. I was never bored with this story.

Great story, can't wait to read the rest of this anthology.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book, my opinions are freely given.

The book was fun and the writing style was very breezy, not like the highbrow Austen wannabes that attempt to combine light-hearted historical romance with the "lofty" writing style of the Regency. The book is part of a holiday'themed series, which was also nice. However, it was rather slow. By chapter seven, our main characters are still barely on the brink of a friendship, let alone anything more.

Lady Isabelle is trapped at a posting house on the way to her brother's castle for the Christmas holidays, the result of an influenza outbreak and a snowstorm that buried the town. With her lady's maid downstairs in the sickroom and Isabelle having to take the only remaining room at the inn, she disguises herself a "Mrs. Lepine" to avoid any untoward accusations or gossip. Unfortunately, the room next to hers is occupied by the most handsome man on earth, one who is setting about transforming men's fashions of the day. (That's not a euphemism... he really is a fashion designer/tailor with bold ideas.)

There are reasons the duo form a partnership of sorts, and the result is really entertaining. While the love story was slow to come to life, it eventually reaches an unexpected twist.

“I’ll be back for as long as you want me…”
“I’ll always want you.”

Belle and Calvin’s romance is what I’d consider a historical insta-love story. While traveling to the picturesque Town of Cressmouth, a snow storm keeps them staying in an inn where they become comfortable companions then lovers…never dreaming that it would develop into something so much more…

Erica Ridley’s characters just make you smile when they get their HEA! I adore this series and can’t wait for the next installment!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

What a fun twist on the Duke theme.  I think I smiled through most of the book.  The characters are fun and interesting.  The idea of using a duke to sell product is different from most books and the twist of relationships in the end is delightful.  

I really liked the story.  This author does keep me entertained.  I never go wrong selecting one of her books to read.

5 of 5 stars

I love this series! The latest books features Calvin McAlistair, a talented tailor, and Lady Isabelle, daughter of a duke. Calvin is working toward a dream of having the duke invest in his ready-made clothing line. Lady Isabelle has been drilled over and over that her reputation is her most precious commodity. When a snowstorm traps both Calvin and Isabelle, they soon learn that everyone needs a champion to believe in them. Is there a world where a commoner and a lady can find true love?

Calvin was such a good and honorable hero who had his own insecurities to overcome. He's terribly awkward with people, but when Isabelle enlists his help to button and unbutton her gowns while her maid is in the sickroom, he becomes comfortable with the beauty. For the first time in her life, someone is seeing the real person instead of her rank. When Calvin agrees to let her to paint his illustrations, Isabelle is overcome with emotion that someone believes she is a talented painter. I felt bad for Isabelle especially the way her family treated her as an object instead of a young woman. That was the way of the ton in that era and I was so glad when Isabelle finally stood up for herself. Ms. Ridley writes such compelling characters and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

I’ve read a lot of Erica ridleys books and this one has been as cute as ever. The couple has a great connection and the scenes in which they watch the sunsets every evening, had me just sighing with happiness. It’s the first time that I’ve seen a tailor being made the hero in a Regency romance book and it was very well done indeed. The whole thing was just cute as a button like all the ‘Duke at Christmas’ books.

Lady Isabelle and Calvin McAlistair are both stuck at the same posting inn on their way to Cressmouth (aka Christmas). Belle is on her way to her brother’s annual Christmas party and Calvin is on his way to secure an investor for his company. They soon discover their interlude at the inn might jeopardize those plans. 

Erica Ridley writes the BEST heroes and Calvin was no exception. I adore historical romances but they’re so overrun with the arrogant hero that’s slept with everything in skirts that it gets old. Calvin is a great guy without being boring. He still has a past and I loved learning about it. 

Ridley’s heroines are also fantastic. Belle might be a lady but she’s not a typical one. She dreams of something more, especially beyond the kind of marriage her family expects her to have. 

This was a super easy read and a great addition for a fabulous series. I cannot wait for the next title!!

I think this was my favourite 12 Dukes book so far, it’s such a fun series. I particularly loved Isabelle and Calvin, both as individual characters and their relationship with each other.

This was a nice, easy to read book. The plot was a simple straight forward A to B design with a couple of unexpected scenarios. I read it in one sitting and will be going back to this author for more.

As the daughter of a duke, Lady Isabelle’s pristine reputation is paramount. Her high status is how she’ll attract the titled suitor her mother insists she wed. When Belle’s chaperone falls ill en route to a party, she must pose as an independent widow to avoid gossip. Why not have a wee innocent flirtation with a handsome tailor staying at the same inn? She’ll be gone in the morning…
The storyline is one that has you captivated from the first paragraph..
This is a sweet romance.

This was, as one says in fanfic, tooth-rotting fluff. I adored it.

Yes, there's very little actual plot, and the sequence of events is improbable to say the least. But the way Belle and Calvin interact was so warm and cozy. Reading this book was like sitting by a warm fire with a cup of tea and a good book. They're both insecure and a little awkward, but once they start sharing their space, him designing outfits and her painting, and appreciating one another's talent, they blossom. (I could have done without the sex scene, but that's just me.)

Excuse me while I go and search out every book Erica Ridley has written.

A delightful, charming romance. Belle and Calvin are cut from the same cloth, without each other realizing it. Their subtle, slow burning attraction lends a flourish to their serendipitous meeting, “contract”, and eventually their HEA. I loved how they slowly brought out the best in each other and ultimately lead Belle to blossom into the  strong woman’s she was meant to be.

Lady Isabelle on her way to spend Christmas with her brother the Duke has to break her journey at a Inn in Houville. Her maid is ill and cannot travel any further. Life in the Inn will come as a great shock to Isabelle used to an upper class lifestyle with servants for all her needs. To save her reputation she signs in as Mrs Levine a widow. Complications occur when she meets Calvin McAlister a tailor planning a presentation to the Duke. Smile at the comedy moments of Isabelle not able to remove her own clothes or take a bath and Calvin coming to the rescue. Calvin is not looking to marry his career means everything. Can Isabelle go against her family and society when it comes out she has spent her time with a gentleman. You will find a nice romance with a modern twist of Isabelle trying to break free from her station in life and Calvin who believes he will never find love.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Travelling to Cressmouth , Lady Isabelle and her maid Ursula are forced to stop at an inn due to the storm and Ursula's illness. Forced to stay in different rooms due to her maid's illness, she's forced to ask for help from her neighbor in the next room.
  Ms.Ridley creates a romance between the lady and a commoner, a clothing designer, during a longer stay enforced by the illness and the storm. They bargain to work together.
  As they interact, and the differences become less than they way they are alike, he falls in love, as does she, but she still puts duty first....until she realizes after he leaves, he is what she really wants.Their steamy encounter is what she wants for the rest of her life and sets about to get it. They do get their happy ever after I the end.
 I requested and received a NetGalley Arc to peruse and offer my opinion freely.

I absolutely love all of Erica Ridley books. I started it last night, had to set it aside at midnight, and finished the last bit the second I woke up. They’re feel good stories that always put a smile on my face even when I ready much too late.