What to do when you're a straight-laced, profit-focused duke and the only thing keeping you from closing your latest deal is that you're not a family man? The answer is simple: ask a French ballerina you just met on the street to pose as your fake fiancee for just one party! This is definitely something a man renowned for his rigid thinking would do.

OK, OK, we kid, because why else do we read historical romance if not for the wacky setups? If you can get past the contradiction inherent in the setup (seriously, we're supposed to believe Lysander is relentlessly logical and, thus, that this decision is ALSO obviously logical), this is a fun, sexy historical pastiche on Pretty Woman. Neve is not only a French ballerina, she is also an English viscount's daughter. Amalie Howard does a good job of explaining Neve's background and success as a dancer, despite her more conventional upbringing. All in all, this is a fun historical romance that will be especially appealing to fans of Pretty Woman.

We'd also be remiss if we forgot to mention that the sexy scenes are also pretty inspired. Indeed, in one, musical virtuoso Lysander literally playing Neve like a cello. And keep in mind that Neve is a ballerina, so she's got moves on- and off-stage!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This book is more than its description, so don't let that fool you. Nève rescues an inebriated duke one night in the wrong part of town, only to have that same duke throw her a lifeline to rescue not only herself, but her injured sister. How can she say no? One night then turns into the season and new friends and a feeling of belonging in a world where she shouldn't. Lysander starts out with money on his mind, but will only win the girl if he can't rewire his black and white thinking and throw caution to the wind, something he hasn't done in years. Must read!

Always Be My Duchess is a delightful retelling of the 1990 Pretty Woman movie. The story follows Lord Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, as he works to accumulate more wealth while dismantling the things his father held dear when he was alive. He has his eye on a valuable piece of land, but the seller wants it to go to a family man. So, the duke hires French ballerina Geneviève Valery (Nève) to pretend to be his fiancée for the season.

The story follows the original movie very closely, despite the century, which makes it predictable but fun. I loved seeing how the author addresses each of the movie’s major scenes; all of which are successfully recreated for story’s purposes. She writes unique characters with their own personality traits, but the resemblance to the movie characters is clear. My favorite is the slimy Viscount Treadway, who mimics Jason Alexander’s Stucky to a tee.

Lysander and Nève are a mismatched, never-meant-to-be couple, much like Edward and Vivian (Pretty Woman). Both are clear on their intentions and long-term goals, yet they cannot overcome their mutual attraction. As they spend more time together, including intimate interludes, they grow to be friends. Lysander is the one who must do the lion’s share of reform so that he will be someone worthy of Nève’s love. True to the movie, Lysander makes many missteps before landing safely.

Always Be My Duchess is an entertaining historical romance worthy of a read, but it’s ties to Pretty Woman that make it all the more special.

My Rating: B

Duke acquires a lady knight-errant!

1865. French emigre, feisty ballerina Nève Valery wasn’t going to rescue the three-sheets-to-the-wind toff stumbling around on the outskirts of the rookeries area of St Giles well past the witching hour, but she couldn’t leave him to be robbed and worse.
Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, hadn’t had this reaction to a woman for sometime. Yes of course he’s a Duke with a history! Dreadful father, horrid upbringing, snake of a step mother, and now he finds himself intrigued, fascinated and pulled towards the fascinating Nève. It can’t be love because he rejects that feeling.
Lysander needs a fiancé and it turns out Nève needs employment. Lysander, “Stone” to his acquaintances, is trying to close a deal on a strip of land, complete a with Castle. All necessary for the railroad he’s trying to build. The owner though has a sentimental attachment to the castle and is not about to sell it to someone he regards as a rake. So Lysander needs to show a “rake turned respectable” face to the ton to secure the deal. Thus the need for a bride- to-be.
The mix of characters—the heroes and the villains, the tension between them all, the lighter moments, the discovery of secrets, the rise of passions—all blend well to make a truly satisfying read.

A Forever - Grand Central ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

SO grateful to have the opportunity to read this book! A seemingly cold Duke — hardened by a cruel upbringing — and a fiery ballerina meet their match in each other. It was entertaining to see that the two fed off of each other’s energy, as was reflected in their banter. The Duke, while a product of an intolerant society, was a strong feminist. His support of Nève made him even more likable.

Nève was kind and loving while being fierce and witty. It was fun to have her POV and see how she played off of some of the other characters.

Loved:
✔️Period romance
✔️Fake dating
✔️FEMINISM
✔️Wit
✔️Angst

The writing in this novel strikes the delicate balance of evoking a period nostalgia without being overly explanatory or dry. It was very reminiscent of Bridgerton, to me (the show; haven’t read the books yet) and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Laugh and cry as Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, meets his match in the wrong side of London. Neve Valery is a ballerina and has been blacklisted from theaters in London. A chance encounter leads Lysander to offer her a job as his companion. A fake engagement will hopefully seal the deal for a railroad project. Lysander has always held himself back and focused on being successful making money. Neve is a big distraction. They find many things in common as she breaks down his barriers. Is he willing to change to keep Neve in his life? Great research brings to life an unusual love story.
Heat level 4🔥🔥🔥🔥
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This Historical Romcom does not disappoint. It is the perfect mix of Bridgerton and Pretty Woman all rolled into one. The way the characters are written are not what you would typically read in a historical romance. Such as the Lysander the Duke of Montcroix is presented as being neurodivergent and the duchesses/ladies are witty and not just sitting around drink tea all day. I loved how the relationship between Lysander and Neve started off with the fake dating contract and things developed.

highly recommend especially if you enjoyed season 1 of Bridgerton.

Thank you to netgalley and forever grandcentral publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lord Lysander Blackstone is used to keeping his emotions buried, preferring to focus on his business, where money and numbers can't betray him. When Miss Geneviève Valery, a struggling ballerina looking for work saves his life, the Duke makes her an offer to be his fake fiancée in order to convince his business partners that he has a heart and Nève gets enough money to pursue her own interests.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I enjoyed it in this book. I think one of my favorite parts of this book is the way that the Duke showed his affection - he clearly has a giving gifts love language which shone clearly around his attempts to crush all of his emotions. I enjoyed Nève slowly being able to read the Duke and getting him to drop his attempts at being emotionless.

I really appreciated Lysander being neurodivergent and showing while many people in society would deride him for it, how he manages to use his strengths to make him arguably one of the most successful dukes in their peerage.

I enjoyed Nève's group of friends - it was fun to read all about the gatherings of Laila, Effie, Vesper, and Briar and even Lushing and Marsden were good at rounding out the group dynamic whenever they choose to join. I see this is the first book of a series and I look forward to the next book, which I am guessing stars Vesper.

And Aunt Millicent! She seems to be a character who is a lazy chaperone at first, but I really liked her moments with both Nève and Lysander.

I think something that worked well in this book were their growth journeys, the way that they grew at different rates and how they couldn't (and Nève wouldn't) form a real realtionship until they had both done the necessary individual work to get to a place where they could truly understand each other. The book even makes it clear that they both still had work to do and would continue their journeys to make things work, which I really liked to see as part of their "happily for now" ending.

A thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever, and NetGalley for the ARC.

There is nothing I love more, than starting off a new book with a fun gender role swap meet cute!

In Always Be My Duchess by Amelie Howard, the series starter for her rom-com series Taming the Dukes does just this! The independent Duke of Montcroix is rescued by our struggling ballerina heroine, Geneviève Valery from a group of street thugs!

As one to see the potential in a business deal, Montcroix decides to proposition Miss Valery, Pretty Woman style, to act out as his current love interest to warn off the match making mama’s of the ton! Sounds like a solid plan, win, win… until the deal gets renegotiated and Montcroix and Miss Valery start having trouble keeping the business dealings separate from their personal feelings!

This was just a real fun story! From our stern and uncompromising duke hero to the self-reliant, vibrant ballerina, this opposites attract pairing has plenty of sparks and laughs. Though this book feels lighter side of angst, Howard doesn’t scrimp on the steam! This book really heats up … and in a variety of locations!

The hero and heroine were not the only character highlights for this book either- the extended cast (which I am eager to read their own love stories!) of friends made for a great extension of the characters personalities and set this series up for a lot if interesting romances to come!

As a reader of many of Howards other books, I enjoyed this one particularly due to it’s more light hearted flair.

This book overall was a real treat that I didn’t want to put down! The true sign of a great read!

Always Be My Duchess by Amelia Howard will be released July 12th, 2022.

Thanks so much to Forever Romance and Grand Central Publishing for gifting me with my review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AlwaysBeMyDuchess #NetGalley #AmeliaHoward #pinkcowlandreads

I appreciated receiving an ARC of this book, but had a lot of trouble connecting with it. The dialogue felt clunky and like it was from the wrong era - I had a lot of trouble finding the time and place that this was supposed to be set. The characters did not feel authentic.

I loved this historical romance! There was enough modern themes that made it relatable to modern times.

As a child, I took ballet so was familiar with the terms Neve used throughout. Since she is French, there are some tench terms, but was done in way that I understood the gist of what was being said,

Lysander was a sweet, misunderstood soul. I adored how he blossomed under Neve’s quick wit and sharp tongue. The banter and flirting between them was *chef’s kiss*! And, Neve’s new-found friends brought the story to life and was what was needed to bring comedic relief to the serious undertones of the plot.

There is a content warning at the beginning of the book, so if you have any triggers, please read this carefully! This will appeal to fans of Bridgerton and Evie Dunmore. I loved this book and can’t wait to read future books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for a copy of the book.

I typically don’t gravitate towards historical romance books but I LOVED this book. The way the characters felt towards each other gave me goosebumps while reading. The dual POV also gave insight into how they were feeling so you knew both sides which I adored. It is a must read in my opinion and I cannot wait until this book hits the shelves to get a physical copy.

Who knew a Regency take on Pretty Woman could be this uninspired? In a story entirely dependent on chemistry between the leads, there isn't a trace to be found. Banter that should sparkle is a a dull matte, and sex scenes that should burn fizzle like dying embers.

Further, while Howard's take is full of feminist rhetoric, she apparently felt the need to make the female lead more socially acceptable, transforming her from a sex worker into a virginal miss who would rather starve than sell her sexual favors. This fundamentally changes both the character and how she relates to the male lead, and it allows the author to attempt to shift all internal conflict and emotional development onto the hero. Whether she succeeds in this attempt is debatable, but the fact that she tries at all reveals an essential misunderstanding of her source material, which is firmly centered on the heroine's journey. The result of these choices is two stock historical romance characters who no longer fit the plot Howard insists on following. Separated from comparisons to the movie, it's neither a great book nor a terrible book — just an incredibly average entry into a genre that has so many better things on offer.

My thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks #NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of #AlwaysBeMyDuchess in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! There was so much I loved about this book especially the Pretty Woman of it all. I really enjoyed having a ballerina heroine and a neurodiverse hero. I loved the female friendships and want to read their stories as well. The chemistry between the two MCs was intense and overall just lovely. When do we get the rest of this series?

Always Be My Duchess is a Pretty Woman inspired Historical Romance by Amalie Howard. Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix, and Genevieve Valery, a ballerina looking for work, meet one night and there is a spark. Stone is need of a fake fiancée for business purposes and decides that Neve would be perfect. He offers her a business deal, which she agrees to because she is in need of money to help her sister back in France.

I loved this story, from how them met to their working though their feelings for each other… all they way to the end. Always Be My Duchess is the first book in the Taming of the Dukes series and I am looking forward to book two!

I recommend this if you enjoy:
Fake Dating
Grumpy x Sunshine
Pining and the banter
Open door romance

What a wonderful start to a new series by Amalie Howard. Always Be MyDuchess was such a fun read and like many of my favorite book made me feel a ton of emotions. From laughing to anger at times but at its center was a romance between Lysander and Geneviève that just captured my heart. I loved how they met to their fake engagement and everything in between.

Miss Geneviève “Nève” Valery is a ballet dancer from France looking for work in England to support her and her injured sister. When she meets the Duke of Montcroix, Lord Lysander “Stone” Blackstone he offers her a deal to be his fake fiancée. Lysander is a character written with a neuro logical disorder(writing made it seem like on the autism spectrum). A.so he has been hurt by people in the past that he should have been able to trust. Not many understand him or how he acts. Nève finds herself needing to agree to Lysander’s deal. But when thinking they have an expiration date and it couldn’t be more the two embark on something special. Will it be able to last or will their time together end up hurting them both.

I just loved this book for so many reason. Favorite thing about this was the couple. Nève and Lysander just stole my heart from the get go. There where just these abs.lately sweet or sexy moments or just moments I couldn’t stop smiling. There is also great banter between them and some fun moments I very much enjoyed. Yes there where misunderstanding as well it does not deter the romance built between the two. Nève became one of my favorite characters after reading this. I just loved her will to do what she needed to for herself and sister and how she makes an impact on Lysander and most of those that she meet. Even knowing Lysander was different she never hid her emotions and feelings from him. Also loved that she was a ballet dancer and her realization how that fits in her life. Loved Lysander as well. Yes you get frustrated with him at times (when he doesn’t understand some things). but his kind and generous heart and his want to take care of the people he cares of over rides that. He also knows when he messes up and tries to make up for it. I like the neurological disease rep and thought that was handled very well in this. Also plots like the business angle in this usually bore me but this one I actually enjoyed.

With this being the start of a series I alway see what side characters make an impact and I must say I can’t wait for all the Hell Kittes books. I feel in love with the, their first scene together. They are hysterical and so entertaining. I can’t wait for Briar and Lushing as well as Vesper and that guy they introduce at the end of the book. Also love Lysander’s aunt and his staff in this. The cast of characters and world building in this book was one of my favorites for a series that came out this year.

Overall a great fun read that me so excited about the rest of this Amalie Howard series. I am giving Always Be My Duchess 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for this arc.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Always Be My Duchess is a Pretty Woman-inspired historical romance that is not to be missed! One night, Lord Lysander Blackstone meets Genevieve Valery, a ballet dancer who is struggling to find work without compromising her principles. Lysander, who needs to appear as if he is settling down for the sake of a business arrangement, offers to pay Genevieve to act as his fiancee. Desperate to help her injured sister, Genevieve agrees.

Lysander and Genevieve are both great characters. Lysander is a bit dark and brooding, while Genevieve is strong and determined. Their chemistry was undeniable and really brought the story to life. This was my first book by Amalie Howard, but I don't think it will be my last!

Wow - I was not expecting anything near what this book ended up being. It was absolutely incredible, a joyride, so many highs and lows in emotions, and a lot of diversity and some really great adversity rolled into it in a fantastic way. It was completely brilliant - so much more than I thought I was getting and I 1000% recommend this to everybody, even if you don't normally read historical romance!

Amalie Howard was able to bring in some really great neurodiversity in our hero without being too over the top, and have our leading lady able to overcome any beliefs of the time period and figure out how to first become a friend to him, and second to be in a "relationship" with him (being a fake engagement trope, hence the quotes). They overcame a lot of ridicule and gossip and helped each other through a number of obstacles that the regency era presented, and it was so well done.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Stone (Lord Blackstone, Duke) and Neve (Genevieve), and how they grew from being someone she saved on the street from ruffians to forming a bond to save each other in life. Super well written, beautiful chemistry, perfect steam level, and I look forward to reading Amalie Howard's back catalogue.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest feedback!

Pretty Woman inspired historical romance?! Yes, please!

I'm having trouble with this one--because it was just so darn good, I don't want to just sit here and gush.

I'll start by saying that I typically read up to ten books at a time. I schedule my reading so that I finish them all by the time I'm supposed to review them. So I sat down to start this one--and read the two chapters that were on plan for the day--and then I couldn't stop. 

The draw of Lysander and Neve was just too much! They just sparked off the page. Both of them in their own ways, drew me in. And they were the perfect pair, to the point of I couldn't, for the life of me, understand why it took so long for them to get their acts together?!

Lysander, especially, tries so hard to keep things professional with Neve--to keep her at a distance. But can he? Ummm, no. And that just made the story all the more wonderful. 

Neve helps Lysander by pretending to be his fiancee... Lysander help Neve by paying her for it. It's a mutually beneficial transaction... In SO. MANY. WAYS. 

Also the friendships between Neve and the other ladies that she meets through Lysander were BRILLIANTLY done. And now I want to read any stories those ladies get!

Always Be My Duchess is a delightful story about Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix, and Genevieve Valery, a ballerina looking for work. If Bridgerton and Pretty Woman combined to make a novel-child, this book would be it!

The tropes in this book give me life. Fake engagement, grumpy/sunshine, and opposites attract mixed with a Victorian setting, great banter, and steam merge to create a book that I could not put down!

I highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance, especially those who like the above tropes!

So happy that Always Be My Duchess is the first book in a series, because I look forward to more from this author!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.