Things I loved:
Great banter / humor
Neurodivergent Hero representation felt authentic
Pretty Woman 80’s style movie inspiration / moments
Strong heroine who has no problems saving herself (and the hero right back)
Fake Dating after instant attraction
How she called him by his nickname “Stone” which fit his early behavior but as she got to really know him, she started to call him by his given name.

As a parent to a neurodivergent child, the way Lysander’s thoughts and feelings were presented seemed very authentic to me. In the author’s note, Amalie Howard talks about some of her personal inspiration for this character. The way Lysander is very grumpy to her sunshine and seems very cold and at times rude in the beginning is all a part of the masks neurodivergent people can wear at times until you get to know them. It made my heart happy to see an HEA for these two.

Another great read from this Author!

Once I saw the blurb and saw the Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons, I knew I had to read this book and I'm very glad I did. I thought that this book was really quite clever, endlessly fun, delightfully surprising, heart meltingly sweet, temperature rising hot and impeccably swoon worthy. I absolutely loved Lysander and Genevieve. They made an amazing couple that not only had me basking in the feels and swoon, but I just genuinely found them likable. Lysander definitely was channeling that whole "Edward" vibe and he had my heart aching as it skipped a beat just for him. Genevieve makes a very fitting "Vivian" and honestly, I think she takes it to the next level because she is FIERCE!! While I can't possibly reference them all, the nods to Bridgerton are plentiful and also a lot of fun. I must say that altogether, I thought that this was irresistibly wonderful! I can't wait to see what book two brings.

A fake engagement results when Lysander hires the unemployed ballerina he meets while lost on the streets one night. He needs to show a business associate that he is not an eternal bachelor, rather that he wants a family to raise in the estate treasured by the seller's late wife. Of course, his real plan is to destroy the home for a railroad. Neve accepts the offer to pose as his fiancé for eight months because she desperately needs the money to support herself and her injured sister back in Paris. After rejecting the advances of a well-connected man in the ballet world, she has been banned from being hired for any ballet productions. She moves in with him which I thought was odd. Wouldn't that destroy her reputation, even with the token aunt living in the house? Lysander had a cruel father who beat him for being slow as a child. Even though his father is now dead, he is determined to be rich and successful to prove his father wrong. No amount of money and success is enough. In a letter from the author at the end of the book she explains the character of Lysander is neurodivergent. Although he is smart, he has a slow processing speed, is methodical, precise and organized. Neve realized he thinks of situations as only black and white, never having any gray areas. This caused problems in their relationship when he didn't respond to her emotions as she expected. Ballet and music play a large part. There just wasn't too much happening besides the next ball. Neve met a new group of friends with strong personalities making way for future books.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥! ⁣
✨Fun banter between a down on her luck ballerina and a stoic Duke⁣
✨Fake fiancé trope⁣
✨Opposites attract ⁣
✨Victorian Pretty Woman inspiration ⁣
✨Neurodivergent hero⁣
✨Sassy, quick-witted heroine⁣
⁣
Thank you to @readforeverpub for a copy of this book to read and review!

Always Be My Duchess is the first book in Amalie Howard's Taming of the Dukes series. This is the second book of hers I read; the first one was a Scottish historical romance, which I really enjoyed. But this one...if this first book is any indication, we are going to be on a wild ride! We had romance, angst, heartbreak and humor. And if you like spice in your romances, this may be one of the steamiest romances of the year.

Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix, is only interested in one thing, and that's making more money. After a big betrayal, he's buried his feelings deep; that way he doesn't get hurt. He's trying to buy a piece of land needed for a railroad, but he may have a problem since it's believed he's heartless. The seller deeply loved his departed wife, and he might hold Lysander's stony, heartless mien against him. What to do...? Enter Miss Geneviève Valery, a promising ballerina who cannot find a job. When she refused to become a wealthy man's mistress, she lost her position and now is desperate for funds. While wandering in the streets, Nève accidentally saves a tipsy, handsome Duke of Montcroix. Lysander offers her a position that she simply can't say no to: act as Lysander's pretend fiancée until the property deal is concluded and in turn she will be given a fortune that will allow her to start over. There's one problem with the arrangement, however; feelings become all too real. Will the hard-hearted Duke and the vivacious ballerina be able to overcome the turmoil that erupts and find true happiness?

Set in London in Victorian London in 1865, this book was chock full of remarkable characters. Lysander had a horrible homelife, especially after his beloved mother died. His father was abusive, berating his son for being slow and methodical. Lysander loved music and was a talented musician, but after his mother died he seemed to lose that part of himself. His father also betrayed him; he married Lysander's intended. What a horrible man he was! The traits that his father hated about his son were the ones that enabled Lysander to make money hand over fist. (The author explains in the afterword that he was neurodivergent. This was a new term for me. Lysander's mind worked a bit different from others. Look it up; it's quite interesting.) Nève, too, was a great character. She and her sister were daughters of a peer, but they lost everything after their parents died and her sister was horribly injured by a rich patron. She came to London to find work and sent all she could home to France. She was a talented dancer, but her passion for dance became more of a job and burden. She was outgoing, witty and charming, quite unlike her fake fiancée! Nève and Lysander were like night and day, yet they had an undeniable pull between them. It was beautiful to see Nève help Lysander to get back his passion for music, and even got him starting to occasionally joke. When things became physical, ooh la la! Really, one of the steamiest books you'll read this year. I loved the two of them, but Lysander's aunt Millicent and Lysander's and Nève's friends were my favorite characters. Lushing, an earl and friend of Lysander, was extremely funny, especially when in his cups. Nève became extremely close to four friends, one of whom referred to their merry group as the Hellfire Kitties. (It was later changed to Queens Club, but my vote is for Hellfire Kitties!). If these are characters we will see in future books, this is going to be a marvelous series!

I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I love a grumpy hero! So Lysander was perfect. And I can't remember ever reading a historical where the FMC is a ballerina. Loved it. I also loved that this book made me slow down and enjoy it. I loved the couple's back and forth and the angst.

Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix works hard to expand his fortune and become the successful man he set out to become. Especially after the betrayals, he's dealt with, his father blocking his first significant deal and them his fiance leaving him for his father, Stone keeps his emotions in check. Earning him a less than flattering reputation and putting his latest business deal in jeopardy.  

One night after getting lost in an unsavory part of town, the Duke meets Genevieve Valery, an out of work ballerina because she refuses to become the mistress of some wealthy patron. She saves his life and when they make their escape, Stone asks Neve to pose as his fiancé to help him finally close his business deal and enough money to open the ballet school her sister has always dreamed of.

Neither is prepared to fall in love. 

Thank you so much to the author, Forever and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

𝙰𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝙱𝚎 𝙼𝚢 𝙳𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚜 (𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂) — 4 ⭐️

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Tuesday, July 12, 2022

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Nève Valery finds herself out of work after an unfortunate situation with a ballet producer, and Lord Lysander Blackstone, a cold duke, must prove himself not to be heartless when attempting to close a property purchase. After Nève saves Lysander from being robbed, he comes up with an idea - he could have her act as a fake fiancé for an evening. Nève couldn’t possibly say no when she and her sister could use the money for medical bills, but what happens when real, unexpected feelings start being involved?

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Bridgerton fans who want more “faking dating” stories will enjoy this book! Even though it was predictable, it was a fast-paced read, and the author kept my interest. I was pleasantly surprised by the character development, and I enjoyed the main, unconventional female character. While I wished to know more about Nève’s sister, the story felt complete when I finished it. Overall, I was very pleased by the book, and I hope to read more by the author!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
🥸 Fake Relationship
💕 Romance
👑 Regency Era
🥰 Feel-Good Story
☀️ Grumpy vs Sunshine Trope
😏 Witty Banter
🏃‍♀️ Fast Paced

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
🩰 You took ballet classes
👯‍♀️ You’d do anything for your sister
🎹 You are musically talented
👀 You like when your outfits bring out your eyes
☕️ You enjoy having tea with your gal pals

𝐓𝐖: sexual content, sexism, prostitution, pregnancy, parental death (prior), child abuse

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have read several historical romances with a ballerina heroine and for some reason, they just never win me over. I cannot put my finger on it, but I guess I just don't like heroines who are ballerinas. This is my second Amalie Howard book and I absolutely loved Rules for Heiresses.

Despite my not liking the heroine in this book, I do admire the writing and our hero, Lord Lysander Blackstone. I loved his character and as noted by the author at the end of the book, he is written as being neurodivergent, which comes across when reading him. I think this aspect of him brings a lot of humanity to his character. I don't enjoy Pretty Women retellings at all, so that could be another reason I didn't love this book. But I will gladly read another book by Amalie Howard any day.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the above opinions are my own.

🩰Always be my Duchess🩰

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Amalie Howard, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun and very entertaining read! Nève was a up-and-coming ballerina who is now out of work and needing to get money to help her injured sister. Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stony Duke of Montcroix has only one thing on his mind, making money. When he meets Nève he has the idea that benefits the both of them, a fake relationship.

The chemistry between Nève and Lysander was amazing from the very beginning. I loved that Nève found an amazing group of strong willed girls and I can’t wait to hear their stories in the upcoming books. Watching Lysander learn to open up to Nève and actually change his ways to show her he cares was so heartwarming. I love a good grumpy/sunshine book!

One of my favorite historical romances I’ve read this year, this gem absolutely sparkles! The Duke of Montroix finds himself in a precarious situation when the lovely Miss Valery comes to his rescue. A chance meeting between the two leads to an opportunity…the Duke needs a fake fiancé in order to proceed with a business dealing + Miss Valery is a down on her luck, out of work ballerina. The two work out a mutually beneficial arrangement…that of course leads to an unexpected romance.

The banter was quick + smart, the steam was off the charts, and the characters refreshingly endearing yet flawed. I cannot wait for more in this series by Amalie Howard.

Read this if you like:
- Pretty Woman (an EXCELLENT historical adapation of the class 90s rom com)
-Fake Dating
-Grump/Sunshine Romance
-Strong Female Friendships
-Swoonworthy Steam (who needs a bed anyway?! )

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for my copy! I couldn’t have loved it more.

A half-French ballet dancer with a backstory meets a duke who wants to fend off the matchmaking mothers of the ton and present himself as a family-minded man for business purposes. The duke hatches a scheme--a business proposition of sorts--a fake date in exchange for a lump sum of money.

This one is fake dating / fake engagement, grumpy-sunshine, different classes, instant attraction but slow burn, who-needs-a-bed historical romance goodness.

I enjoyed the blossoming relationship between Lysander and Nève and her growing friendships as well as the inventiveness of some of the steamy scenes.

My main qualm is the miscommunication trope employed in the book. Admittedly, it is not a favorite trope of mine, but at least in this case, some of the frustration is alleviated by the driving forces behind the miscommunication being Nève's heightened emotions and Lysander's neurodiverse mind.

I am interested to see what comes next in this new series from Amalie Howard.

I received an advance ebook copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard
Taming of the Dukes series #1. Historical romance. Grumpy hero troupe.
Nève and her sister turned to ballet to support themselves when the family coffers were empty. Nève rescues Lysander from cutthroats, and in return he offers her a job to pose as his fiancé for the season. Nève and Lysander grow to care for each other but will it be enough to overcome society and cultural barriers?
In the author’s words, the hero is neurodivergent; smart with a slow processing speed, binary thinking, methodical, fixed on routine, anxious, direct, and no time for anything beyond what he sees as the milestones of success.

It’s always interesting reading a historical romance where I know the author has done the applicable research. In this book we learn a bit about the nineteenth century influencer patrons of the ballet troupe. And again, since I don’t read a lot of historical, I had to use the dictionary a few times to confirm a definition.
The heroine and the friends she makes are strong personalities and amusing in their antics. I enjoyed their interactions and look forward to future stories as they find their own love match.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to keep.

✨Book Review✨

Thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the eARC of Always Be My Duchess. I’ll admit the main reason I requested this book is because of the @jodipicoult quote on the front saying that Howard is, “a must-read author.” That with the Pretty Woman retelling. Sold!

It’s 1865 London, England and instead of a stern, flush with cash businessman and a prostitute you have a stern, flush with cash Duke and an out of work ballerina 🩰.

This book isn’t an exact retelling because how could the precise same things happen in both time periods. But, it’s as similar as it can be and I loved it!

If you love the movie Pretty Woman and romance novels, pick this one up! It’s the perfect rom-com you need in your reading line-up. Plus, it’s listed as the first in a series on Goodreads! Could Amalie Howard be continuing the rom-com movie line-up in her second book? I talked with @keepingyouonread about possible movies that could be next among Geneviève’s friends, but who knows. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’ll be ready to read whatever the next book is though!

Always Be My Duchess is a historical romance inspired by <i>Pretty Woman</i> and let me tell you, that description alone has me hitting the 'request' button so fast. Even though I've never actually seen the movie (😬) that still didn't keep me from greatly enjoying this book. The story was clever and well-written. The characters, Lysander and Nève, were fantastic and I loved the banter and chemistry between them! My only issue was the ending felt abrupt and I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see Lysander's growth and revelations in the last few chapters. That being said, I overall really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series!

When I read that Always Be My Duchess was a mix of Pretty Women and Bridgerton, I knew I needed to read this book. Lord Lysander Blackstone is a stoic and hardened man after years of abuse from his father and he only has one goal at the moment: increase his fortune. However, after a series of unfortunate (or should we say fortunate…) events, he meets Neve, a ballerina in need of a job. I love their meet-cute! Thus begins their fake engagement (squeal!). The chemistry between Stone and Neve is delicious and I couldn’t get enough of their romance. Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, @netgalley, and @readforeverpub, for the eARC and in return, an honest review.

‘Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.’ (Wuthering Heights)

My Thoughts:
4,5 ⭐️ I’m on a Regency Romance kick lately. When I got approved for this book, I was excited and was not disappointed at all. It is described as Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton. There are definitely some similarities including the book cover.

Néve Valery, an out of work dancer, had a chance meeting with Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix, who happened to be lost. She rescued him from potential robbers and in return, he offered her a role to pretend to be his fiancé to secure the purchase of a property and fend off matchmaking mothers. I love how brutally honest and independent Néve is. Meanwhile Lysander is the neurodivergent hero, sweet, and loyal. Steamy scenes was intense but not over the top.

It’s fast paced, fake dating trope, fun with strong and somewhat unconventional female characters. I enjoyed the camaraderie and support. The banter between the characters were funny. There are some trigger warnings: child abuse, death, sexual and physical assault. This is just the first of the series. I am looking forward to reading more from Amalie Howard.

This is a sweet story, medium spicy. Maybe a little too overtly feminist as written (it would have been easier to show and not tell) but I genuinely enjoyed it!

A cute remake of pretty woman but this for sure is not as good as the movie. For me its a pass. The book was slow and the duke was just not that likeable.

This book was described as Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons?! Uhhh yes please!

This book was so cute and charming, and I loved it so much. I'm a sucker for historical/regency romance, and this book did not disappoint. The characters.. the story.. it was perfection!

I thought the characters were lovely, the banter was fun, the pacing was perfect and the storyline was great! This has a great slow burn and lotssss of pining after each other through most of the book.

📖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:

• fake dating/engagement
• opposites attract
• strong female lead
• slow slowwww burn

This is a great start to a new series and I can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you Forever for my gifted copy!!

Thank-you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the chance to review this ARC.

First off the writing here was AMAZING! Sometimes it takes me a while to get into historical romances but this one was so easy to get into!
Geneviève was a really interesting character and so was Lysander. I loved their intersections!
The fake dating trope is done in such and excellent way here that I honestly can't wait to re read it!
This was a winner!