Along Came a Lady
Series: All the Duke's Sins #1
Author: Christi Caldwell
Published August 24th 2021 by Berkley Books

Goodreads Synopsis
The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman from USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell—perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne'er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.

Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society.

As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard.
Goodreads

Review
All his life, Rafe Audley has known he was the bastard son of the Duke of Bentley. He regularly saw his mother leave him and his siblings to head to London to be with the Duke, and when she died birthing Rafe's sister, Cailtin, he decided he never wanted anything to do with the man. He's the one responsible for looking after his siblings, and even when the duke decides he wants to do something about his children, Rafe has rebutted all requests, and turned them all away, until Edwina arrives. Edwina Dalrymple has a secret she needs to keep, especially if she wants to keep her position in transforming the young men and women of the gentry prior to their debut. Working for the Duke of Bentley will be one of the biggest jobs she's done, but she's more than capable - isn't she? However, from the get go, Rafe and Edwina butt heads, and their chemistry and attraction gets in the way regularly. What initially seemed to be an easy job, soon proves otherwise, but can Edwina tame this stubborn miner?

I had wanted to read this book for ages, but hadn't managed to get a copy so it was put on the back burner for a bit. Though when I was approved for book 2, I knew I needed to order one, and as soon as Along Came a Lady arrived, I couldn't put it down. Straight away, I was hooked by the characters, and Rafe and Edwina were so worthy and endearing, it was easy to fall for them. The premise of a Duke discovering his former mistress had his children, and wanting to get to know them, and care for them, was lovely, and when we got to know Bentley, I really liked him. I completely understood Rafe's feelings, though, and having to become a father figure to his 3 siblings, after consoling and caring for his mother for so long, it really took a toll on him, and he had walls so thick, that it was quite the task for Edwina to manage. Edwina was the perfect person for the job, and she understood Rafe so well, and had a plan even he couldn't argue with, which was so good to see. Rafe needed someone to take him down a peg, and take him out of his own head, and Edwina did that! Along Came a Lady was the perfect start to the series, and definitely lived up to my expectations.

Dates Read: