I am choosing not to read and review The Duke’s Princess Bride at this time due to reasons already discussed by the romance blogging community—chiefly the hero being a West Indies plantation owner. I look forward to seeing Amalie Howard’s revised version! Thank you.

I had a lot to say about this one because I did read it, and was thoroughly uncomfortable throughout reading it, and then when I went to see if I could find an ownvoices review of this book to link people to, I discovered that the author had taken the criticisms of her novel into account and has delayed publication to try and revise the multiple issues. On that note, I’ll wait to see what happens with the revisions and not repeat the criticism here, but I *am* going to leave my two-star rating, as I feel like it’s fair to rate what I was given to read.

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

An incredibly beautiful love story, rich in exquisite, sumptuous imagery and fascinating historical details. Princess Sarani Rao is a wonderful character! Interesting and complex, strong yet also vulnerable, proud but not haughty, intelligent, understanding and compassionate … very much a well-rounded heroine. I was blown away to discover she was inspired in part by a real 19th century Rani, Lakshmi Bai. Just wow! Sarani is the star of the book, no question about it. Rhystan is a tortured, flawed hero, and definitely interesting and likable, but he pales next to Sarani. He is not as proactive when it comes to tackling his life and responsiblities and could be a little quicker to reassess past experiences or deal with his own double standards.

I am going to keep this review short as quite a few others have already pointed out the things I had issues with. This book fell flat for me, which was disappointing. I had high hope for it as I’ve adored some of her other books, but something was just... off. I felt icky reading this book for a number of reasons. I will preface this by saying that this is an own voices novel. Here are my issues with it.
- definitely comes off as a white savior narrative
-the death of her father feels glossed over and not at all focused on. One would think losing such an important family member would pack more of an emotional punch, but I found myself forgetting he had even died.
-There is a lot of racist rhetoric in this book, which I wouldn’t have minded if it had dealt with it in a different way. It came off wrong and I can’t quite figure out why.
-I have problems with how the MC describes herself and how the hero describes her. It feels like she’s being fetishized for her race.
-no mention of what colonialism was actually like during that time in India.
-I believe it’s mentioned that the hero owns a plantation. that doesn’t feel ok at all.
-There is a scene where the hero is watching the MC take a bath without her knowledge that he is there watching. Very icky and uncomfortable to read.

This book was disappointing for me. I wish it wasn’t, but it is. There’s more but I didn’t make a list and I found myself skimming through the last 70% of the book. I am white so I don’t know if these conclusions I’ve drawn are correct (please correct me if I’m wrong) but these are the issues I had and are why I rated it a 1 star.

*I received this ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily read this book. my thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me the chance to read an advanced copy!*

Another bada$$ heroine from Amalie Howard! That is the statement that comes to mind when I
think of this wonderful book. We have come to expect strong, sassy, and independent leading ladies
from this author and in my opinion, this is her strongest heroine yet. I love how as strong as this leading
lady has been written our hero is her perfect match in all ways. The verbal sparring matches, continual
battle of wills, and the chemistry of this pair made this book so much fun to read, add to that an
element of danger and the risk of scandal and this book was impossible to put down.
I really want to take a moment to commend this author for fully facing the ugly racism that a person
of color, a person with mixed origins, and even those who are not but choose to befriend and/or love
them, would have faced in the time of this story. All without trying to sugar coat or diminish the turmoil
such hate causes those who are often thought to be the most impervious to it. I feel like she did an
incredible job of showing how living with such hate can make someone feel like they have no place in
the world and the deep seated emotional toll such feelings can exact on a person even if they have been
“well loved”, are “high born”, and are considered to have extraordinary physical beauty. I forced myself
reevaluate a lot of my own personal perspectives, and considerations (which I had previously based on
my own personal interactions with people from different backgrounds) on the depth of both the seen
and unseen emotional damage and the constant internal struggles that such hate in any amount, in any
form, in any era, and at any time causes because of this book and these characters, and I thank Amalie
Howard for that.
Princess Sarani Rao, the beautiful daughter of the Maharaja of Joor, is forced to run for her life when
her father is assassinated and those who wished him dead now have their sights set on her. With
limited options and few she can trust she decides to flee her home country of India to England where
hopefully she can gain the protection of her noble family members, whom she has never met, and who
disowned her mother for loving her father, a person of color. After the captain of the only boat
scheduled to set sail refuses to take on passengers, she boards the boat as a stow-away. Little did she
know that the captain of the boat is none other than the boy she once loved and was forced by duty to
betray. Will he have sympathy on her situation in spite of their past and see her safely to England or will
he leave her fate to the assassins?
Rhystan Huntly, Duke of Embry and Captain of the Belonging is begrudgingly returning to England
after being summoned, on the pretense that his mother is ailing, to see to the ducal duties he never
wanted. Refusing to take on passengers the last thing he expected was to wake up from a rum induced
slumber, being straddled by a woman, AFTER they had set sail. More so he never expected for that
woman to be the one woman who haunts his sweetest dreams and stars in his worst nightmares. The
Princess who betrayed him and shattered his heart 5 years ago when she chose duty over fighting for
their love is here aboard his ship, as a stow away. Was this an intentional manipulation on her part or
was this some sick twist of fate? Either way, will his resentment for her past betrayal and the hate born
from his heart break lead him to throw her over-board or will he let her stay on board so he can seek
revenge another way? Or will he find the truth behind the saying, “there is a fine line between love and
hate”?

This! This is the best kind of historical romance. It retains all the great things I've always loved about the genre but widens it into a more inclusive, more open-minded arena. I loved every single detail of the plot. Not to mention the fact that it sneaks in several chapters of high-seas shenanigans.
Sarani is a fantastic heroine, strong and vulnerable in turn. And don't even get me started on Rhystan. He is the ideal too-perfect-to-be-real-but-I'll-suspend-disbelief hero that made this story what it is. The perfect match for Sarani. They're also surrounded by side characters that feel real and fully developed, that actually add to the story.
It was a delight to read this book. I sat down and didn't get up until I've devoured every tropey morsel of historical romance. Highly recommended!

Many extremely happy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the read!

The stunning cover of The Duke's Princess Bride is only the beginning of this captivating historical romance. A story that is full of steamy romance, drama, and the tropes are abundant! They are done so well and flow through the book perfectly! I look forward to reading more from the author.

I loved this new historical romance by Amalie Howard. Amalie never disappoints. The chemistry between Rhystan and Sara was sizzling and jumped right out of the pages. Perfect for all historical romance fans!

Discovering her father's murdered corpse, Princess Sarani Rao knows she must flee India quickly. She gathers family jewels, as well as two servants, and bribes her way aboard a ship headed for England. Her mother was an Englishwoman, and she plans to pass as Lady Sara.

To her dismay, she discovers she has found her way to a ship owned by Rhystan Huntley, an Englishman she had an ill-fated romance with several years ago. Immediately the sparks between them fly, and they decide it's in both of their best interests to pretend to be engaged--to keep Sarani safe, while discouraging the determination of Rhystan's mother to marry him off, now that he's the Duke of Embry.

In London, Sarani and Rhystan encounter all sorts of difficulties, but Sarani usually proves herself able to defend herself against everyone and everything, except Rhystan and her feelings for him.

This Regency novel is surprisingly controversial. I think the author attempted to bring diversity to the genre, and was met with accusations of racism. Those who enjoy the Regency romance genre will probably enjoy it. Sarani is, if nothing else, an independent, non-traditional protagonist. Do not expect any great insights into race, though. #TheDukesPrincessBride #NetGalley

Sweet second chance romance

Sarani and Rhystan have a complicated history, and this story of their romance is filled with both internal and external obstacles. I enjoyed the characterizations, the vivid storytelling, the attention to detail that brought the scenes to life. This author has a real talent with words and I was swept away by the story right from the start.

I realize this original version is not without its difficulties, so I'm looking forward to reading the revised story once it's updated and released. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received through NetGalley.

I had high hopes for this book however I did not finish it because of the racism and problematic way that colonizers and people of color were depicted in this book.

I was really excited about the concept of this book, but the execution fell flat for me. I found that there was an overabundance of inner monologue and not enough dialogue, to the point where some chapters consisted of only a few sentences actually spoken aloud between two characters. I found myself skimming a majority of the book for that reason.

I also found the lack of communication to be a bit too much. Yes, miscommunication is a classic romance trope, but there was just far too much of it for me.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
This book had a nice idea behind it but it was badly executed. There was plenty of whitewashing and a lack of research and therefore respect for the culture that was depicted in this story. There was little development in creating a love story. It was mainly steamy scenes.
On the whole, an OK book.

DNF because of problematic racial content. However, I have read the author's response to reviewers' concerns and appreciate her self-reflection and willingness to make changes based on the feedback of her readers. For that reason, I am not posting my review elsewhere because I want to give the author the chance to address these issues as she has promised. The critiques of others have already served their purpose.

That said, I liked the author's writing style and the #ownvoices take on historical romance. So much of the genre is whitewashed-- and bland as a result. It can only benefit from more heroines like Sarani, who was a compelling lead with a spunky personality. The sexual tension was sizzling. There is a lot of potential here. I would certainly try more books from this author in the future. I just can't turn a blind eye to the issues with our male lead in this particular story.

I usually like Amalie Howard's books, but this one fell flat for me. I didn't feel any romance between the hero and heroine. There was just a lot of sex, but not much else. It was very easy for me to put the book down so I ended up not finishing the book.

Didn't feel the romance in this one. Too much telling of how they past with each other, but not enough showing that they had a connection that went beyond physical. There were a few other issues that bugged me, but I'm having trouble articulating them, so will leave this review as is.

Born to an Indian maharaja and a British noblewoman, Princess Sarani Rao has it all: beauty, riches, and a crown. But when Sarani's father is murdered, her only hope is the next ship out—captained by the boy she once loved...and spurned. Captain Rhystan Huntley, the reluctant Duke of Embry, is loath to give up his life at sea. But duty is calling him home, and this is his final voyage. Leave it to fate that the one woman he's ever loved must escape to England on his ship.
A very well written book with strong characters of depth. Very different from the usual historical romance & it made a refreshing change. I can understand that some readers may find some triggers but I read it as an entertaining, enjoyable romance between two people of different backgrounds who were given a second chance. A page turning read that flowed effortlessly & I was drawn in from start to finish
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

IT ALMOST FEELS POINTLESS TO WRITE THIS REVIEW

I - like many others - find myself troubled by this book. It didn't sit well with me. Many other reviewers have commented on the problematic way that colonizers and people of mixed race are depicted in this book. So I won't be making any comments on this - others have said what I would say much better than I ever could. I stead I'll urge you to read there reviews:

- Ari's review
- Vicky Hoyle's review

👎 What (Else) I Disliked 👎

Lust: This was not a romance novel. This was pure erotica. There's is, in my opinion, nothing between the two main characters beside lust. They don't seem to have any deeper connection. They never talk about anything of any value or get to know each other. No romance, just lust and smut. I, honestly, need more.

Plot: Not only was there no romance - there was no plot either. Sure, there is a feeble attempt at a substandart plot. But basically, this is just erotica. Nothing else.

I was picking up this book to start reading and found that the author is reworking the story so I will wait for the reworked story before I read/review.

I would like to thank Casablanca, NetGalley and Ms. Howard for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title.

It's difficult to provide a review for this book considering the fact that it is going to be reworked by the author due to the multitude of concerns by others regarding its themes and content. There are certainly many problematic issues here.

I am aware of history, of historical events and historical attitudes. These can be tricky, downright controversial, or can even be inappropriate, to utilize as plot points in a modern romance, depending on how it's done. Yes, they happened, but modern readers do not want to be asked to find romance in them or glorification of them. I can understand what the author looked to accomplish with the story but there are elements in the current story that simply cannot be overlooked.

If the author intends to give the story historical accuracy, I would be very interested to see how she does it if she plans to stick to the current plot. I am unsure if it CAN be done without making reference to the widespread bigotry and racism amongst the British aristocracy at the time. Certainly the "plantation owner" element could easily and successfully be removed. However, the themes of "passing" and racism, while (rightfully) offensive today, were absolutely authentic in the time period. Basically, the observation made in the novel that the duke's marriage to Sarani would result in his family being ostracized is correct; that's exactly what would happen, for generations thereafter. NOW things are different, thank God, but not then. So I look forward to seeing how the author plans to revise the plot.