I did end up enjoying this overall, but I unfortunately don't think it lived up to the potential I thought it had. I appreciated how it addressed racism and having to deal with the prejudices of society as a whole. We have a mixed-race heroine and a unique plot for a historical romance. I liked both of the characters too and thought they had a good connection, it just ultimately fell flat for me.

Sarani Rao is a princess of Joor. Rhystan is the youngest of the three sons of the Duke of Embry. Their friendship and love was destroyed by greed and lies.
Five years later, Sarani is fleeing for her life and a stowaway on one of Rhystan's ships. Old hurts, betrayals and his new role as a duke, are enough problems when enemies reappear. The love they had for each other maybe their salvation. Although a very complicated love story, Howard manages to keep the pace moving and easy to keep up with the characters. Very steamy open door.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This book was difficult to get into. I found it both boring and alarmingly unrealistic. Historical romance just may not be for me.

Not gonna lie, the dress on the cover is what sold me on this book. Even knowing how often covers match the characters inside, I had to read about this heroine. And then to find out that it's more likely than not that she has fake pockets in there that actually give her access to the knives she has strapped to her thighs? I. Have. No. Regrets. ;)

I loved Sarani. She's a strong, kick-butt heroine who does what she can to save herself (OMG, the scene with the kidnappers!) and those she cares about in a world that definitely doesn't always make it easy to do so. I couldn't help at times but feel like she deserved someone better than Rhystan--OMG, he does get better by the book's end, but he's really got chip on his shoulder for far longer than he should have had, especially once he knows the truth about what happened five years ago. The fact that he knows that he's being 100% hypocritical when it comes to what he wanted Sarani to have done then and what he expects his sister Ravenna to do now but continues to expect it anyway wasn't terribly endearing either. Again, he's better by the end but jeez, there were times when I wanted the two of them to hogtie him in a closet for a while until he saw the error of his ways.

But Sarani and Ravenna? I. Am. Here. For. Them. Please tell me Ravenna get her own book? Though of course I totally respect her wishes to remain single, I would also enjoy watching her fall in love... ;)

Though I did have a copy of the original ARC for this book (when it was still The Duke's Princess Bride) I never ended up reading it, since it was pulled from production for a re-write to (hopefully) remove some problematic content. So I can't make any comparisons between the two. The author's note at the end discussed the extensive sensitivity reading that this version went through, so hopefully most of the issues are resolved--though of course the hero did work for the East India Company for a time and their part in India's history is horrendous, at the present time of the book he is making an effort to improve things where he can, so at least there's that.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I loved this book so much. The cover made me expect a book with chemistry coming off the pages and it did not disappoint. There were different issues in this because the hair in women’s heritage was different than most historical romances. I love the way the hero and heroine interacted and their relationship definitely progressed at a rate that I enjoyed. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book by Amalie Howard.

The Princess Stakes by Amalie Howard is a story that packs an emotional punch! This story is full of angst and the main characters are not watered down, happiness only, unicorns and lollipop type people … they are realistic, imperfect, wounded, and very emotional. Together Rhystan & Sarani are beautiful. This is a heartfelt second chance romance that left me completely satisfied. I have seen some feedback stating the author should have made the story prettier and left out the ugly Sarani dealt with, I am so happy that Howard chose to go “all in” and takes the reader on the true ride.

Overall 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚I received a review copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and am leaving a voluntary review - All thoughts and opinions are my own. 🦄

If you are one of those people that wakes up in the morning looking to be offended, don't read this book, as apparently some ARC readers were upset that this was not a revisionist history like the Bridgeton NetFlix show. The author, a "biracial West Indian - American" woman, told her story as it was. And she did a great job doing so. Her characters are vibrant, courageous people with real issues, learning to live life on their own terms.

The story starts with Princess Sarani Rao, fleeing India, with her two faithful servants/companions after discovery her father, the Maharaja of Joor, brutally murdered. They stow away on the first ship leaving port, only to discover that the captain is her former almost fiancee, who she was forced to spurn 5 years ago, by her father. Rhystan Huntley, Duke of Embry had his heart broken by Sarani, so is not very pleased to find her. Yet while they both pretend that their old feelings for each other are gone, it is still there. So, second chance, fake relationship troupe, with beautifully written descriptions of the atmosphere of the times.

I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. Wow what can I say about this title it was just an awesome read. This book was just something so wonderfully different I’ve never quite read anything like this. You should read to find out you won’t be disappointed. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

I was excited to read a historical diverse romance featuring an Indian princess but I did not enjoy this story. The actual romance between the main characters was lacking. There was a lot of physical attraction, miscommunication and too many misfortunes they had to overcome but I never felt any romantic connection between Sarani and Rhystan. Overall this was a miss for me.

I received this book from Sourcebooks a while back and quickly saw other reviews stating that though this was an AOC, there were a ton of problematic situations within the book. I decided to not read and be done. However, Sourcebooks gifted me a finished copy and I happened to see that the author took the time to fix some of the issues that were brought up, so I decided to give it a try.

This wasn't a bad book, but I think because I went into it knowing what the previous issues were, it put me in a sour spot when reading, which really bummed me out. I liked the idea of the premise, and as someone who is Biracial like the heroine, I was excited for a Biracial character in historical romance. However, like I said, I think the original issues were playing on my mind and I wasn't a fan.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
I am really loving this series. This installment finds a man who was 3rd in line to a Dukedom and so sailed the seas, free and clear until he plowed into a beautiful strong willed Princess.
Oh the tangled web these two find themselves in. Both do things that might be unforgivable in some circumstances and yet, when they collide again, they must find a way to assist one another.
I appreciated that the family disdain did not turn out to be villainous, for one protagonist at least.
I cannot wait to read the next book and hope it finds his sister at the center.

CW: murder, death of a sibling (off-page), death of a parent (off-page), colonialism, racism, attempted sexual assault, racist slurs, and colorism.

The first thing that called my attention to this book was the beautiful cover, especially the woman with the dress. After reading the description, I was a bit hesitant, but nevertheless, I took the request.

The book was okay. I wasn't particularly fond of Sarani and Rhystan's relationship, since they went on too many circles. They shared passionate kisses and had sex but still believed the other one did not love them. By the fourth or fifth time, this train of thought was presented, I was done with it. Their angst honestly frustrated me. Rhystan was truly a brute sometimes and I couldn't click with him as a love interest. Even though he was one of the 'good ones', who challenged colonialism and the treaty of the British empire towards their colonies, he was still part of it, and it was something I could not brush past. He wasn't the best lover either; it felt like he was focused on the fast-burning passion and that only. You can see I really did not like him, lol. I did really enjoy Sarani and her strength, and how she did not fall for the 'damsel in distress' trope. She was able to defend herself with her kukri swords and her wit, and that is something I appreciate in any character. The way she made his life miserable on the boat, like watering his whisky and putting barnacles in his pillow, was really funny. Another aspect of the book I really liked was the writing. The author's prose was beautiful and fast-paced, never stalling.

Overall, it was an easy read with a good main character. Hopefully, this will be an opening to more diversity in historical romance that is <u>done correctly</u>. I appreciate the publisher and the author taking the steps to fix the mistakes made in the previous version after reviewers raised the alarm.

I really enjoy Amalie's romances and this was no different. Her voice feels very 'old school historical romance' and is a joy to read. Brava!

In The Princess Stakes we follow Princess Sarani in the midst of a coup that she barely escapes by hiding away on a ship bound for England, the estranged home of her mother. And who's ship is it? No other than Rystan, Sarani's first and only love that she was forced to gilt 5 years ago to fulfill the wishes of her father and her duty to her people.

Rystan is clearly still hurting from having his heart broken by Sarani but she refuses to feel bad about her decision because it was her duty at the time. What follows is a battle of wills as Rystan keeps his grudge and Sarani does not back down from the hard work of working on the ship and then dealing with the judgment and racism of the ton.

I really loved how strong and independent Sarani was and time after time she stand up for herself and shows she can hold her own without Rystans protection. While Rhystan does admire her, he cannot forget the hurt of the past but he does slowly start to fully realize what an impossible situation she was and continues to be in and respects her for her bravery.

I know there was controversy surrounding this book and Howard rewrote it because of it. I never read the first iteration but it seems like the issues reviewers brought up were acknowledged and edited. I am not an own voices reviewer but I did feel that the colonialist sentiments, racism, classism and misogyny in general were all handled well. Sarani is one of the strongest heroines I've read in a historical romance and I think reveiwers will love the lovers to enemies to lovers story.

I just adore this author!! I’m so happy to have been able to read Sarani & Rhystan’s story to finding love once again with one another. These two had been to hell and back through out their lives....so when fate brings them back together we get a rush of feelings & flash backs! I’m so happy we were given a glimpse into their past. ( As some books leave this out but I find when dealing with a second chance I NEED this)

Rhystan is quite grumpy and can be frustrating at times, how can we not love this kind of Duke? Especially when he lays claim to what’s his & what he wants!

Sarani is a beautiful mixed heroine who is trying hard to find her place & herself. It made her real!

Rhystan & Sarani go through a journey of being forced together on a ship to faking an engagement to help Sarani fit into the ton. This book had so much feeling & all the sexy times I was here for!! I can’t wait for the next in the series! It was a fun ride to love! I was given an advanced copy for my honest review!

*****Thank you to Net Galley for providing an eARC of this book!*****

This was a fun read and the writing was good. I loved the premise and the scenes in India and aboard a ship were wonderful. The main characters, Rhystand and Sarani, were both mostly interesting and stayed true to their character throughout the book.

However, I found the middle of the book to be slow. It also felt a little “preachy” at times and the preaching got repetitive and made the story drag. If this had been tightened up a bit to keep the pace of the story going, I would have bumped this up a star.

I still had a decent time. The book was just ok, but I’m still definitely glad that I read it.

Was I hooked by that book? Partly, yes. I enjoyed Sarani and Rhystan together, but an overly convoluted plot watered it down for me.

Princess Sarani is escaping her life of luxury in India to travel to England, with only a very tenuous connection to her mother's family there. She stows away on the ship captained by Rhystan, the Duke of Embry, and also the man whose heart she broke years before.

Wow, the chemistry between Rhystan and Sarani was super hot, the screen of my e-reader almost melted. Where are the smelling salts? Their attraction to each other turned out to be a lot stronger than any resentment they felt over the way they had parted all those years ago.

That was the best part of the story. Sarani had way too many enemies. It seemed like everybody and their dog were out to get her. They either wanted to kill her or force her into marriage. And all she really needed was a friend. This was all a bit too much.

Overall, it's a fun, steamy read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars
I must admit that it was my first time reading a book by the author but after reading it, I need more, I fell in love with her writing and the ability to make you get lost into a beautiful story without even noticing.
It reminds me of A Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsay although James was way too much of a dominant alpha while Rhy is much more assertive and thoughtful, always looking for consent and respecting Sara’s wishes and decisions.
A fake engagement turned into a beautiful friendship and love story full of great moments and steamy moments.
If you love historical romance, this book is a must-read for sure.

A wonderful second chance romance that holds all the facets to make a memorable story!

They met years ago, but because of their cultural differences, were pulled apart by her father. Now it seems they are to meet again, when she is desperate to flee India when her father, the maharaja is murdered.

He is the captain of the boat she enlists and the adventure begins! Forced to enact a ruse so that her presence aboard will be explainable, they opt for a fake engagement..

When reaching London, it seems that all will not go well with them and they face many obstacles to a happy ever after. But all of that only makes them stronger.

A great epilogue and notes from the author wrap this story together perfectly!

Received a copy through NetGalley for an honest review. The Princess Stakes by Amalie Howard was a very moving and complex tale.Princess Sarani's mother was an English woman who was exiled for falling in Love and marrying an Indian Maharaja. After Sarani's father is murdered she escapes on to a ship captained by the only man she has ever loved, Rhystan Huntley. The book starts off in the middle of her escape and was very exciting. It pulled me straight in and never let me go. Sarani is such a strong character, who knows who she is and what she wants and Rhystan is her match. Rhystan is moody and has a heart of gold but don't cross him. There was a scene on the ship that I really thought showed so much of his character it was one of my favorite parts. (without giving a whole lot away) Sarani was walking to go do her chores and was stopped by A big jerk. Rhystan didn't rush in to save her not because he didn't want too but because he knew she can handle herself. Then when it was over he stepped in. I really enjoyed Rhystan's sister and yes his mother as well those side characters were so well developed in a short period without being boring. The only thing I had a problem with was I really thought Penelope was left up in the air. I wanted her to get hers. All the other antagonist characters were wrapped up except her unless I missed it. Over all this was a really good story. I really really enjoyed it. Thank you