When Lord Lysander Blackstone (Stone to his friends) needs to prove he is a "family man" to close a business deal, he hires out-of-work ballerina, Genevieve (Neve) Valery to pretend to be his fiancee. Neve is a firey and strong personality, which Stone is equally frustrated and intrigued by. Neve has come to London from France to try to earn money to help her sister after she is brutally attacked and finds that she can't refuse Stone's offer. Neither of them are prepared for this to be anything more than a business transaction, despite their chemistry with each other.

This book was inspired by Pretty Woman and that inspiration is very evident! Oftentimes when books claim to be inspired by something, I find that the original inspiration is really nowhere to be found, but I'm happy to report that is not the case here! It was actually really fun to see similar scenes (particularly the one where they are negotiating payment) in a historical context.

I loved Neve's personality - she remains a strong woman throughout the book and does not allow Stone or society to change her which I really appreciated. Stone's character growth was also lovely to see - though I wish some of the growth had been more internal and not based solely on Neve constantly challenging him.

The side characters (particularly the group of female friends) brought a lot of humor, though I did have a hard time initially keeping them all straight because there are quite a few of them!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for a review. This was a 4.5 stars for me, rounded up to 5. If you like historical romance (and Pretty Woman), you will love this! Highly recommend that you preorder.

Always Be My Duchess has been described as Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton, and that’s a fantastic comparison. The story follows Lord Lysander Blackstone, who hires out-of-work ballerina Genevieve Valery to pose as his fiancée. It’s an offer Neve can’t refuse, as she desperately needs money to care for her sister and ensure a respectable future. Neve and Stone aren’t prepared for the feelings that begin to grow between them, and soon their fake relationship becomes much more than either anticipated.

Stone is a wealthy and influential duke who buries his feelings deep. However, he is super generous, and not the heartless duke everyone thinks he is. Stone isn’t a person who expresses his feelings, and for that, he is often considered empty of compassion. This man has a difficult past filled with abuse, trauma, and loss, and he suffered a lot. His past has very much defined how he deals with his present, and has a lot to do with his closed off emotions and rigidity. I like that Neve helps him let his guard down and open up to others.

Neve is a fantastic protagonist! She’s strong, brave, and independent, and she shows an incredible amount of determination. In many ways, she is the opposite of Stone, especially when it comes to opening up to and befriending others. And I love Neve and Stone and their grumpy-sunshine, fake-dating swoon-tasticness! They have such fantastic chemistry from their very first meeting, and their romance progresses well over the course of the story. Their shared interest in the arts is a wonderful addition to the story, and I love all the ways Stone shows Neve that he cares. Some of his actions are super swoon-worthy and romantic!

I also really liked Neve’s relationship with her new female friends. Her friends are all unique and interesting, and they gregariously welcome Neve into their fold. I love stories that show women supporting women, and the way that these women unequivocally support, help, and encourage each other is fantastic. These women make Neve feel like she belongs, which is something she hasn’t felt in a long time. I also think it says something about Stone’s character, as these women hold him in high regard.

I always enjoy Howard’s romances. The writing is smart, fun, and engaging, the characters are layered and compelling, and the romances are swoon-worthy. I would definitely recommend this book to romance readers and am thankful to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I first saw this described as Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons and if that isn’t accurate! Neve accidentally encounters the Duke one evening, drunk, and in need of saving. The Duke of Montcroix, Lysander, is known for being cold and with his eye only on how to increase his fortunes. Unfortunately for him, this reputation could ruin the chances of closing a much desired business transaction. He sees the opportunity presented by Neve, an out of work and impoverished ballerina: act as his fake fiancee and he will provide her with enough income to start fresh. But this strict business arrangement obviously heats up as the two cannot deny the attraction growing between them.

The writing was a little flowery and overdone in some instances, but there is no denying Howard created characters who were memorable, lovable and compatible. I was invested in the future of Neve and the Duke and I genuinely enjoyed the group of women Neve fell in with and sincerely hope we’ll be following those ladies in the next books in this series!

This was a great read from Amalie Howard.
There are influences from Pretty Woman, as far as fake engagement turning to real love. However, Genevieve was gently bred and her father was a viscount. Her mom was an opera dancer, which led to her dad being disowned. She grew up wealthy in France but her dad soon lost all his money and Genevieve and her sister were forced to find work as ballerinas to support themselves. There were some feminist leanings in the way Genevieve carries herself, and even the way Lysander views her, but it wasn’t over-the-top in-your-face.

Lysander is presented as neurodivergent, with a one track analytical mind. His father beat the crap out of him physically, mentally and emotionally and it forced him to get rid of emotions altogether to protect himself. Hence, the nickname Stone.

It was a joy to see them come together and get to know each other. The physical attraction was there from the start but they don’t sleep together until well into 2/3 of the book, giving lots of time for relationship development and dialogue. Consent was heavily emphasized especially since the nature of their relationship was transactional.

I took a star off because the fact that she was a ballerina, a part of the demimonde, did not really seem as big of a deal as it would have been in that time period. There were three villains and they were one-dimensional and clichéd in their characterization. The middle part of the book also lagged. Finally, it bothered me that Lysander, being a neurodivergent hero was just expected to “figure it out” after their misunderstanding. Yes, he was a duke and there was power imbalance and it was imperative that he groveled. However it would have been better if someone explained to him why Genevieve was upset about Aldenborough. Because how can you expect someone who is pragmatic and analytical and neurodivergent to just all of a sudden develop emotions, sentimentality and understand them?

Overall this was a great read and I recommend it! I also liked the discussion questions that they included in the end.

Thanks to Grand Central Pub and Netgalley for the ARC.

I don’t reach much historical romance, but I really enjoyed Always Be My Duchess! I was swept away by this story and its characters. The Duke of Montcroix, Lysander Blackstone, needs to prove that he isn’t a perpetual bachelor for a business deal, and that’s where Neve comes in. I love a good grumpy x sunshine and fake dating story! The romance between Lysander and Neve felt authentic and progressed at a natural pace, and I loved unapologetically herself Neve was.

This was definitely a funny and entertaining rom com filled with passion and genuine chemistry, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series

This book brought the perfect balance of steamy romance and regency period turmoil. I enjoyed the French flare and ballet components the author wove into Neve’s character. My only criticism is that the main characters had so many names of reference; For example: “Stone vs Blackstone vs Lysander vs Montcroix vs Lyssie-lad vs Nephew” or “Neve, Genevieve and Miss Valery…” the alternating references to the characters slowed the pace and I kept spending time reminding myself of the character’s many names. Sticking with a proper name and one nickname would have been easier to associate. Overall lovely read.

This was unfortunately not to my taste. I couldn’t connect with either character or the writing style. I am sure it will appeal to fans of the authors previous work though.

Amalie Howard is an auto buy author for me so when I saw her latest book was Pretty Woman inspired set in Regency England I had to have it! Always Be My Duchess had tropes that I love - grumpy socially awkward hero, fake relationship, class difference - woven together by Amalie Howard’s fantastic writing that had me reading this in one sitting!

Miss Geneviève Valery “Neve” is an out of work ballerina that drunken Lord Lysander Blackstone “Stone” encounters one night. In order to purchase a piece of land for his railroad, Stone must be engaged so he convinces Neve to be his pretend fiancee. What starts out as a fake relationship quickly turns into real feelings.

I loved Lysander Blackstone! I love a grumpy, awkward hero that is totally smitten with the heroine but doesn’t know how to show it, so Stone worked for me. Neve is the perfect partner to Stone- she is trying to support her sister, is able to protect herself and outspoken. I really enjoyed how Stone always supported Neve, never assuming because she was a woman she was beneath him, he’s a feminist- which was unheard of in that time.

Always Be My Duchess brought the spice (the foot rub scene 🔥), the characters are wonderful and I loved the set up of Neve’s friends for what I hope will be the next books in the series!

Thank you to the publisher (Forever) and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Always Be My Duchess has a publish date of July 12, 2022.

“Woman’s intelligence. The dread of the patriarchy and the scourge of the aristocracy. Provocative at best, deadly at worst.”

I have loved every Amalie Howard book that I've read thus far! She has become an auto buy for me. Always Be My Duchess is the first novel in the Taking of the Dukes series and a Pretty Woman inspired retelling. Neve grew up as an aristocrats daughter but ultimately fell into poverty when her parents made some questionable investments. She and her sister, Vivienne, become ballerinas to support themselves. Neve saves a Duke, Stone, from pick pockets. Stone is looking to secure a land contract but the landowner only wants to sell to a "family man." Stone offers to pay Neve for her company during outings and balls to make him seem like he is ready to settle down. In return, Neve will get the money she needs to help her sister, and an introduction to a ballet theater owner. It's a fine line between fake courting and actually courting.

It was very refreshing having the heroine be a ballerina. Ms. Howard didn't romanticize the life of ballerinas. She showed how they are often treated as courtesans who can dance. Neve's relationship with Stone's Aunt was so sweet. The Queen's club women were a great addition to the story. I can only hope that it's members will be featured in future books. It was easy to connect the nods to Pretty Woman that were dropped a long the way. Stone is very rigid and set in his ways. It isn't until the absolute end that he loosens up a bit.

I really enjoyed this book but I do wish their was more chemistry shown between Stone and Neve. I think the chemistry started out strong in the beginning of the book and slowed down a bit towards the end. Since it was the first in a series, a lot of characters are introduced to set up for future books. It did make it a little confusing at time keeping everyone straight. The ending was not my favorite. All in all, it was a strong first book in the series. I'm really looking forward to which other pairs will be in future books. I read this in one sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amalie Howard, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #amaliehoward #alwaysbemyduchess

Think Pretty Woman in Regency times. Always Be My Duchess was a fun read that gave me all the vibes of Julia Roberts. It had great writing and was so fun! I loved the different historical tale on a classic story. This story is the perfect example of how fake dating can be so fun to read about. And as always sparks fly!

I love this book way more than Pretty Woman 😆 I enjoyed the nods to Pretty Woman and love the concept of the story. Genevieve is a WONDERFUL heroine - she’s so tough and confident and proud. She does what she wants (if she can). I just loved her. The hero was great - I loved how she knocked him out of his comfort zone and how he thrived on it. I loved how he protected her. Amalie’s writing is always so witty and engaging. Really great book!!

Thank you Amalie and netgalley!

This review was also posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd7H9vjr5vP/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

ATTENTION ALL BRIDGERTON FANS AND LOVERS OF HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Boy oh boy is this the book for you. Especially if fake dating is your thing.

I *LOVED* this book. I read this book the weekend of my wedding and it had me screaming! The tension was impeccable and the spice?! There is a foot rub scene that had me sweating!!
The Duke of Montcroix is in trouble. He needs to find a wife, or at the very least a fiance, in order to appear less of a rake and complete the purchase of a critical piece of land for his business. More immediately, he has found himself more than a few drinks deep and lost in an unsavory part of town with some scoundrels headed his way. 

Enter Miss Genevieve Valery to the rescue. First she uses her gun and quick wits to help the Duke escape the scoundrels. Then, to thank her for the trouble, he invites her to a ball where he can show her around and prove that he is ready to settle down. Light as a butterfly, Genevieve the professional ballerina delights all. 
The ruse is a little too successful and the Duke asks (re: begs) Genevieve to stay longer. Finding herself short on cash and in need of income to support her family, she agrees. But the more time they spend together the less fake everything seems. 

And if that is starting to sound interesting, trust me it gets better! The banter, the tension, the sass. SO GOOD. 
Put Always Be My Dutchess by Amalie Howard on your Must Read list!

Always Be My Duchess is a historical romance involving Neve and Duke Lysander. In this pretty woman-esque retelling we have Duke Lysander who propositions Neve into entering an arrangement to help him close a business deal. This arrangement will also pay Neve handsomely which will help her and her sister. Given the times and the restrictions made upon women this is the safest and quickest way to make money.

Is my very first historical romance and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am a fan of the fake dating/fake engagement trope. I was truly taken with Amalie Howard’s characters and story. I loved the honesty and depth of these characters. I enjoyed that the Duke was not your “conventional” hero. He was honest and thoughtful and a feminist which again because of the time made him “different”. Neve was such a force of nature and she helped the duke see things in a new light and she also challenged him which made for a fun dynamic between the two. I loved the exploration of consent and choice in the novel and how women have been and continue to be punished for having a choice or wanting a choice. I am interested in reading more by this author and I hope the series continues because I was intrigued with the side characters as well. This book has a 4.5⭐️ from me and I read it literally in one sitting.

Stone approaches problems with logic so it seems a viable solution to hire a woman to be his fake fiancee when his family values are in question. Neve strains to be logical in accepting the offer as she can't get hired by any ballet company in London. I love how two strong willed people constantly butt heads and try to ignore their attraction to each other. I find it interesting how Stone is linear in thought and action. Any variation throws him off until he can readjust. Neve is more flexible and able to adapt quickly when thrown a curve. I enjoyed the antics of family and friends who were rooting for Neve and Stone. And of course you have to have a villain or two to make things even more interesting!

Overall I felt this book was a bit long and kind of went all over the place in order to get from a) Duke Montcroix runs into a ballerina on the streets to b) he falls in love with said ballerina and works to end up with her.

It is on some level your standard fake engagement historical romance. Neve pretends to be the Duke's fiancee so that he can purchase a property that the owner wants to keep for a family. Of course there are villains who keep coming back and don't entirely get their comeuppance. And of course finally the estate owner finds out it was all an act. But considering the Duke is in love with Neve from the beginning, it seems to take quite awhile for him to understand what she wants in him even if they both love each other.

There were points I enjoyed, and I was happy to see their HEA but the storyline/characters didn't necessarily compel me to want to find out more about the others in that universe. A somewhat enjoyable throwaway romance IMHO.

Always Be My Duchess is the first novel in the Taming of the Dukes series by Amalie Howard. As a bestselling writer Amalie Howard creates main characters with compelling back stories that enthrall readers and draw them into the plot. There is a lot of chemistry between the protagonists in Always Be My Duchess which will leave romance fans with a smile on their face as they enjoy delightful banter and heart-grabbing romantic scenes.

Synopsis:
Genevieve Valery is an extremely talented professional ballerina. She is searching for a job after she was blacklisted from performing in her dance company for refusing to become the mistress of a powerful man. In a chance encounter, Genevieve meets the Duke of Montcroix, Lysander Blackstone. Lysander offers Genevieve employment as his fake fiancé with no strings attached. This business agreement appears to be the most suitable solution for both parties. Lysander is not interested in getting married, but he is constantly harassed by socialites. A fake engagement would relieve Lysander from the stress caused by his colleagues and advance his business interests. Genevieve is in financial difficulty and the monetary gain from acting out this ruse would enable her to pursue her professional career as a dancer. Lysander and Genevieve are both strong willed passionate individuals. Can a fake romance work for them?

Always Be My Duchess is a hysterical story with unexpected twists and turns. Readers will quickly flip through the pages of this sweet story excited to find out what happens next. I recommend this heartwarming book, however it does contain some fairly graphic sexual content so check the trigger warnings.

Always Be My Duchess is available on July 12th. (4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to review this lovely book by Amalie Howard. Your kindness is appreciated!

I want to thank NetGalley and Forever publishing for supplying me with an e-galley of this book to read and give an honest review.
I will confess, I had no idea what this book is about. But I saw Amalie Howard's name and I know I love her so I thought, why not give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did.
I like a good romance, one that is meaty but also just angsty enough to pull you along. This one was that. Despite me shying away from such books, especially when historical type aspects are part of the plot, I rather enjoyed getting to know Stone (Montcroix) and Neve (Genevieve).
From the very start, there is a huge attraction between these two characters. I would not say love at first site, maybe lust, but it's there. And I love the arrangement trop this book hits on: guy needs a girl prop, girl needs money, everyone wins! Very Pretty Woman, one of my favorite movies!
But of course it's never going to only be about the money. And there is always going to be a complication, usually set off by the fact that, despite the business arrangement of the characters, they just cannot help but feel wildly attracted to each other!
Without wanting to spoil the it, let's just say this book does have it's happily ever after, even if it does take some rethinking on more than one occasions from the very stoney Duke!
I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series. I really hope it's Briar's story, though I see it was a bit of a set up for someone else!

"Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons" -- who can resist that description? Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard didn't live up to its tagline for me, but it was a fine read that many will very much enjoy.

“Woman’s intelligence. The dread of the patriarchy and the scourge of the aristocracy. Provocative at best, deadly at worst.”

Historical romance is still a newer genre to me, but tell me a book is historical romance meets 90s rom-com and I’M IN!

This Pretty Woman inspired historical romance was everything! Funny, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, fake dating/fiancé, with some amazing female friendships thrown in!

Lysander and Nève work out an arrangement - Lysander needs a fake fiancé for the season in order to secure a business deal, and Nève needs the money and security after her ballet career is basically sabotaged by a man who feels scorned by her.

It doesn’t take long for Nève to wonder if there is more to Lysander than just his stony, cold surface.

Their banter is perfection and Nève’s relationships with the other ladies helps her to speak her mind and admit what she wants.

Overall this was a fun read and I’m excited to see what comes next in the series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars).

I wanted to like this, truly I did, but once we reached the halfway point things kind of went off the rails.

The plot was kind of a mess. The first half of the book was basically just the two main characters trying really hard to pretend that they didn't want to jump each others bones and not much actual plot besides that. Then, it was like as soon as we reached the initial ~intimate scene~ that Howard remembered that there was supposed to be an actual plot and that you know, things were actually supposed to happen.

There was a third act break up/misunderstanding that I didn't care for as well.

I will admit that I found Neve to be likable, for the most part, and the couple had some sweet moments that I enjoyed.

If you're a fan of season 1 of Bridgerton (idk about the book, I haven't read it) you will probably like this book. At least a lot more than I did.

Thank you to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.