This historical romance retelling of Pretty woman has been getting such great reviews and they are 100% warranted!! Spicy and full of entertaining banter, Parisian ballerina Neve takes the English Duke of Montcroix up on his offer to pretend to be his fiancé in exchange for money that will help her support her sister. Fans of the movie will enjoy this book so much! Full of movie references cleverly woven into a 19th century setting. This book is perfect and highly recommended for fans of The Bridgertons or Diana Biller's The brightest star in Paris. Much thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an early electronic copy in exchange for my honest review!

Always Be My Duchess was such a fun combination of my current regency era obsessions and one of my all time favorite moves Pretty Woman ( Or My Fair Lady if you really want to throw it back). I was looking for a “palette cleanser” of sorts as I just finished a book that completely rocked my socks off and needed something comfy and predictable.

I will say I thoroughly enjoyed these characters and I’m excited to see where the Hell Kitties go next. I am loving seeing more and more Neurodivergent main characters as well as romance novels showing healthier relationships where the men are also able to be vulnerable and cope with past trauma / emotions.

If you’re looking for a quick, comfy read with a dash of spice this is your pick.

This is a very solid 3 for me! Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc.

This is a very solid historical romance that would definitely appeal to Bridgerton fans. I enjoyed it and will look for more books by this author in the future.

I did not like the cringy insta-attraction in the first few pages and knew I would not find the fake dating trope believable. I had a really hard time connecting with the characters. The writing style was not bad and I will definitely try another one of this authors books. Unfortunately this book did not work for me and I found myself skimming through a lot of it.

Worlds collide when Genevieve Varley, an out of work ballerina, stumbles into the Duke of Montcroix one dark night. From this chance encounter, the Duke sees an answer to his troubles. He needs to convince an earl to sell land for his railway, but the earl values family and is put off by the duke’s reputation as heartless and his lack of a wife. Montcroix offers Neve a deal she can’t refuse: a king’s ransom to pretend to be his fiancée. As the two spend time together to fool the ton though, they find they are in danger of wanting more.

I really like how this book talks about subjects that are often ignored in regency romances. Neve was an admirable main character who refused to let her misfortunes stop her from achieving her goals, and her love for her sister was a heartwarming part of the story. Montcroix’s character growth was so important to see, and it was freeing to watch him escape the trauma inflicted on him.

Fans of Bringing Down the Duke will really enjoy this novel! Thank you so much to Forever and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amalie Howard is going to single-handedly be responsible for my new found love of romance books because this was 🔥🔥🔥. Ok let's start with our two main characters-Lysander and Geneviève. They were both incredibly fleshed out and the chemistry between them was unparalleled. I loved how developed both characters were because it made me be able to root for them as individuals before I rooted for them as a couple. The spicy scenes were definitely spicy and I loved how their romance developed. Opposites attract is one of my favorite tropes and this was done spectacularly! I mean come on, he plays the cello and she dances, could they be MORE meant for each other? The plot line was also excellent! The banter between these characters was EVERYTHING and it made the angsty so so steamy. Overall, a great read!

First can we mention their meet cute!? Loved it! It really set the tone for the book.

Nève is an out of work Parisian ballet dancer who now can't get a break because of her refusal to bow down (if you catch my drift) to men in the profession. Lysander Duke of Montcroix is a no nonsense, stiff about the collar businessman who has no time for women or building a family. Now he has a business venture stalled because he doesn't come off as the family type.

Enter the lovely, albeit sassy and quite the spitfire Ms. Geneviève Valery. Stone aka Lysander comes up with the plan to hire her to be his fake fiancé to ensure his business venture goes off without a hitch. What could go wrong?

Getting caught up in the unfolding story of Stone & Nève was quite a titillating journey and I loved every minute of it!

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

This was a balm of a book. I've been really craving a steamy romance with loveable main characters for a hot minute and this does not disappoint. I've been finding historical romance's super hit and miss lately but this one is a big, big, biiiig hit. Loved the "Pretty Woman" inspiration and absolutely adored Neve and Lysander - seriously they're just book characters and their chemistry was palpable. Much much needed juicy goodness.

The Duke of Montcroix has a reputation for being a stone cold gargoyle. He’s all business and no fun, until a chance encounter with an armed unemployed ballerina in the wrong part of town who rescues him from drunken pickpockets.

Genviève (Nève) Valery is the daughter of an English viscount who fell on hard times and lost their family’s fortune. Now, she’s a struggling ballerina and it’s up to her to keep them afloat and also care for her injured sister.

Nève may have lost everything but she’ll never give up her sense of self-worth, respect, and dignity. When she’s fired from her leading role for refusing to be a wealthy patron’s mistress, she suddenly finds herself out of work, until she meets the Duke of Montcroix who makes her an offer she can’t refuse: to play the role of his potential duchess so that he can convince his business associate to make a deal that would increase his fortune.

As soon as I read that this was a mix of Pretty Woman and Bridgerton, I literally dropped everything, and it did not disappoint.

It did take me a little bit to connect to the characters and I think it could have been the third person perspective from both the hero and heroine, but around mid-way, I really got into it. But their chemistry was 🔥 and the spice definitely did it for me!

I loved all of the little bits of humour and found myself smiling and laughing quite a bit. The playful banter was spot on!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited to see what happens in this series.

Miss Genevieve Valery was not happy. She needed to find a job, but getting fired from the ballet and then being turned down by the other theaters in town (just because she turned down the gentleman’s offer, not that he was a gentleman, clearly, making an offer like that). But she needs to figure out a way to earn some money, so that she can stay in London and so that her sister can continue to recover back home in France.

She’s so angry that she’s still outside the theater, despite the late hour and the less than stellar neighborhood. But that’s when she sees him, looking lost and probably drunk. He comes closer to her, and since Neve knows how to protect herself, she pulls her pistol out of her pocket before he can get too close.

Lord Lysander Blackstone knew he shouldn’t have let his friend talk him into going out tonight, and he definitely should not have gone out drinking after the theater. Now he’s a little tipsy and more than a little lost, and there are no cabs around. There is only a lady, and it looks like she’s crying. When Lysander tries to talk to her, she pulls a gun on him. But when a gang of men who are clearly not up to any good start moving towards them, she grabs him and pulls him toward the back streets that could hide them.

Once they’ve lost the scoundrels, Neve takes Lysander to find a cab, and they get away by the skin of their teeth. But while they had been ducked into a close alley, they both experienced a moment of wild attraction like neither had felt before. And maybe that’s why Lysander felt he could proposition her in the cab, on the way to his home.

Lysander is a businessman, and he is trying very hard to make a deal on some real estate. He needs that land for his railroad, but the owner of the land doesn’t want to sell it. It had meant the world to his late wife, and he doesn’t want to sell it to a bachelor who might not respect it the way his wife did. Lysander thinks that if he appears at the next night’s ball with Neve on his arm that e will have a better chance at closing the deal. So he offers her a tidy sum to be his date the following night. But only for the ball, nothing else.

Neve agrees, because the sum he is offering will pay her rent plus help with her sister’s care. Also, she is intrigued by this man, whose face looks to be set in stone but who has hints of depths underneath. He provides her with a majestic gown and introduces her to his friends, who Neve is pleased to discover are open-minded and quite fun to be around. They are quick to speak their minds, especially the women, and they like it when Neve does the same. And when she learns that Lysander is actually the Duke of Montcroix, she is even more surprised.

Lysander’s ploy to get his real estate deal doesn’t quite work out, so Lysander extends his offer to Neve. If she will stay through the season, pretending to be his fiancée, then he will give her a sum of money that would have Neve and her sister set for life. He makes the offer partly to finally get that real estate deal but also because he can’t bear the thought of Neve leaving.

Neve turns down the Duke’s offer at first, but then she finds herself in a situation where she needs the money. She agrees to the terms, two months for a life-changing amount of money. But as she grows in affection for Lysander, she worries that being in his home for two months, seeing his generosity, discovering how he can play the pianoforte, eating food from the French chef he hired for her, will she be able to protect her heart from the longing she feels?

And as Lysander spends those two months with a divine French ballerina in his house, will he be able to keep his heart and his head focused on business? Or will desire wear him down?

Always Be My Duchess is a charming rom com, taking the story of Pretty Woman to Victorian England with wit, intelligence, and heart. Author Amalie Howard has created two characters are well matched in strength and snark, and their conversations are as steamy as their kisses. While this is clearly anachronistic, it’s also so much fun. It may not be the Victorian England from the history books, but it’s definitely the one we want to read about.

I am not a big fan of historical fiction, but the combination of the description and that adorable cover had me hooked. And I’m so glad I gave it a try. I fell for these characters almost immediately, and I wanted to see how they would play off each other. But I also loved the female supporting characters. They had spunk and spirit, and I wished I could have tea with them and join in on their conversations. Always Be My Duchess is clever and fun, and I think rom com fans will absolutely find something to love in this book.

Egalleys for Always Be My Duchess were provided by Forever through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Lord Lysander Blackstone only has one thing on his mind, growing his fortune. Until a drunken night leads him into the arms of a French ballerina named Nève.
Both have suffered heartbreak and turmoils of their own. Lysander's heart has turned to stone, and Nève is forced to live a frugal life.

An unlikely meeting turns into an offer from Lysander that Nève would be silly to turn down. Act as his fiancée for the upcoming season in exchange for a small fortune that could mean the beginning of a new life.

This was both my first historical fiction, and Amalie Howard read. I got major Bridgerton and Pretty Woman vibes from this! I will admit that this took me a while to get into, but I think it's because this is outside of my comfort zone.

I truly enjoyed the fake dating of it all, and watching the love truly form between the main characters. I also loved the people of the ton being invested in the drama as much as I was.

I definitely recommend this to any historical fiction lover, and anyone who's ever seen Pretty Woman.

Thanks to Netgalley, Forever Publishing, and Amalie Howard for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cute story. I have read a lot of Amalie’s stories and loved every one of them. The plot of this book was very interesting. This is only the second historical book I have read (I think) that features a ballerina. There were some laugh out loud moments for me with the double entredes and snarkiness. I loved the “Hellfire Kittens” and let me tell you those ladies were hellfire. I can see several stories coming in this series. The one I really want to read is Lushing and Briar. Enemies to lovers are catnip.

I can honestly say that I've never read a historical romance quite like this before. It had all the historical elements you want: forced proximity, quick banter, a slow burn and all the spice! But at the same time this book felt very modern, which I also loved.

There was so much juicy twists/complications and fun throughout this book. Amalie delivered in every scene of this book. I couldn't put this book down and kept reading because I couldn't get enough of Lysander and Neve. Every time they were in each other's orbit, you could feel how much this two were drawn to one another.

And drawing inspiration from Pretty Woman, Amalie gives Neve a profession that is looked down on by the ton. But like Julia Robert's character, Neve is smart, tough and determined to be in control of her life -- not letting anyone, even Lysander dictate her life choices.

I throughly enjoyed reading this book and I need the rest of this series (because each of Neve's new friends need their own book) ASAP!

If you want a laugh-out-loud, spicy, historical with contemporary elements, then this book is for you!

CWs: Parental abuse and Loss of parent(s) both in the past, fertility issues (that does end with a successful pregnancy).

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Central Publishing) for the digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed a lot of this book but wanted more sexual tension and more moments of them pining for each other or them together than random dialogue. I wanted to love this and while I did enjoy it, I just didnt feel the love between the two characters. The piano scene was fabulous though!

I've only ever seen Pretty Woman once, years ago, but based off what I remember, this book is even cuter than the movie it is inspired by! (Not to mention that the cover is adorable as well!) Always Be My Duchess leads with a life-or-death meet-cute between a duke, Lysander, and a ballerina, Genevieve AKA Neve. Both of these characters are pretty hardcore and headstrong, so you know there's going to be a lot of headbutting and stubbornness to follow.

Lysander and Neve get themselves into a fake dating situation, because of course, and it is filled with secretive passions (I'm not even talking about the spicy kind), new ballgowns, and plenty of is-the-duke's-heart-made-of-stone-or-is-he-a-sweetheart moments. Lysander is also neurodivergent, and I loved his straightforwardness, and how Neve learned to interpret it better.

My only complaint is that it wrapped up and resolved really quickly, and I would have liked a little more tacked on at the end.

Thanks to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the e-ARC and review copy!

As soon as I heard this Victorian romance had a neuro-divergent Duke hero, and a ballerina heroine, I knew I wanted to read it. However, the book just didn’t work that well for me. It started off with a serious case of insta-lust on the part of both leads, paired with an flimsy plot in which Lysander out of the blue, decides to hire Neve to be his fake date at a ball so he can woo a reluctant lord to sell him some valuable property. By the time I gave up and started skimming at 40% or so, there was still no real character development. Lysander was bland and neverendingly lustful, and I didn’t understand why such a supposedly successful and powerful duke would need to hire someone to be his fake date/fake fiancee. Neve, meanwhile, veered inconsistently between sunshiny optimist and hard-edged, argumentative pragmatist.

I think the author had some great ideas around depicting neuro-divergence and giving the female characters real agency in directing their lives, but those ideas weren’t as well executed in this book as I would have liked. The plot seemed like a mishmash of ideas thrown together with no real thought given to how they would or could work together. I’ve read and enjoyed plenty of historical romances that were not particularly accurate in their portrayals of the times they are set in, but in this book, there were just too many historical inaccuracies for me to suspend my disbelief and just go with the plot. I did notice near the end, that finally, Lysander’s behavioral difficulties were addressed in a meaningful manner but by then, it was a bit too little to late for me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This steamy historical romance might be a perfect summer read for fans of the genre. The Duke of Montcroix, coming home uncharacteristically drunk one night, comes across what appears to be a woman in distress and stops to help. But she ends up rescuing him from some local thugs.

The young woman, Neve, is a ballerina and the daughter of a French viscount who has fallen on hard times and is trying to find work to support her sister. Montcroix, who has no interest in marriage after his former fiance threw him over for his own father, sees the business possibilities. Yes, it's the familar but often entertaining scenario of the fake romantic entanglement that morphs into the real thing.

Their repartee is fun and sharp, and the chemistry is overwrought with passion and sparks. She finds some nicely drawn female friends who aren't afraid to ignore the conventional mores. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW
Title: Always Be My Duchess
Author: Amalie Howard
Pages: 368
Genre: Historical Romance
Pub date: July 12, 2022 aka NOW!!
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for an ARC!!

This is totally giving Bridgerton vibes + Pretty Woman and I am so here for it. I loved the Victorian era, I feel like I hardly read anything surrounding that so my interest was immediately peeked. I also enjoyed the MCs!! They were relatable, quirky, sexy, and sweet. This has some steam, good character development, and a good flow when it comes to the plot. I was surprised on how much I actually enjoyed this! I will say, instant love is not for me as I feel like it’s highly unrealistic but I feel like the plot allowed for me to not even think about that since there was more to the story than the love interests. Such a fun summer romance, I definitely recommend!

Read this if you like:
-fake dating + instant love
-family and growth stories
-The Bridgertons

Fake engagement is one of my favorite tropes! Lysander is willing to do anything to get control of a property he wants, and that includes appearing to settle down. Enter ballerina Neve to serve his purposes and earn enough money to bankroll her dreams!

Neve and her warmth are the perfect match for Lysander and his icy demeanor. And I love how truly vulnerable Lysander was under all the broody, controlled exterior. His backstory made him so sympathetic, and also helped to show how different he was with Neve.

Everyone has been comparing this to Pretty Woman and I have to agree that the vibes are there. Definitely one of those stories where they save each other!

I cannot wait to read more about the characters in the Queens Club group. Some great characters there that deserve further exploration!

I am a little disappointed in this book. I only knew this author from her YA books and the impression I got from the marketing and cover of this one was that it would be a fun rom-com on the gentler side with an engagement of convenience and a slow-burn romance.

This is not that. It is way more explicit than I expected, instant romance, and seems to be set in the past only so the author can dress her characters up, not so they have to work around any of the obstacles of class, propriety, or convention. The setting doesn't really add anything to the characters or plot. The writing itself was fine, but I wish this had been marketed differently because I was not thrilled when I came for a easy, gentle romantic comedy and was instantly met with explicit content.