I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If I didn't take the job of reviewing books seriously, I would have quit this one rather early on. It's ... a hotchpotch. I get what the author was trying to do and I am all for diverse romance and own voices but this was just too much. The love story is not in the least relatable because instead on focusing on the relationship we get a plethora of not so cleverly disguised sermons about racism, bigotry and, what drives me absolutely nuts in HR, modern-day feminism. The H and h have to overcome so much adversity it's hilarious (murder attempts, stormy seas, blackmail, ruination, internal conflicts, gossip) , the bad guys (more than one , of course) are so bad and morally corrupt they are rather caricaturesque and the mother in law suddenly coming around and admitting that everything she thought and did throughout her life was wrong made just made me think "this is soooooo stupid". It was too long, too preachy and not even the hot sex scenes and loose vocabulary could redeem it.

I'm sorry but I had to DNF this book because of the format of the book. I have read PDF from Netgalley before which have been okey. But in the Netgalley app was this double sided and not that you could just scroll down one page at the time, which was really annoying. But, the biggest problem was the font. The fint was horrible to read and my eyes started to hurt. So, I'm sorry but this book was not good enought that it was worth hurting my eyes for it.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @SourceBooksCasa for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Princess Stakes is a revised version of an earlier edition after certain elements of the story sparked criticism from readers. I admire the author’s humility and willingness to address these issues without becoming defensive. The author’s note at the end of the story reveals more background on the author herself, and her use of sensitivity readers.

If it was a risk to include less fantasy and more realism regarding the time period; to not shy away from the blatant racism, unforgivable atrocities and lasting effects of colonialism, then it was a risk I am glad Howard, as a biracial West Indian-American woman was willing to take during revisions. Our fictional main character, Princess Sarani and real women like her, deserve to have their story told from an honest place, despite and perhaps because it may make decedents of settlers, like myself, uncomfortable. It is an opportunity for us to acknowledge, listen and learn.

As for the rest of the story, I absolutely loved Princess Sarani. She is described as passionate, smart and strong but I would have liked to hear more about her Indian beliefs and customs as the story progressed. Rhystan, on the other hand, left much to be desired. He is definitely more problematic than Howard’s usual hero. I also found this story to centre around yearning and lust rather than love and romance.

Overall, and it pains me to say it but, this wasn’t my favourite story. I expected more romance and adventure on the high seas, rather than in the ballrooms of London. That being said, I so enjoy Amalie’s writing style and encourage you to pick up The Beast of Beswick (one of my favourites!) if you are new to the author.

The other reviews on this book are pretty thorough, and there's a lot that is parsed that I could not possibly add to, nor am I in any way versed in, but I appreciated reading them, and they gave me a lot to think about. So I am reviewing this strictly as a historical romance. First off, I really appreciated Howard's author's note at the end detailing her background and how that inspired aspects of this book. She picked a heavy topic, and the lens with which she approached it was fraught with challenges.

Overall, this book had promise as an epic love story, but it didn't quite deliver. Some of the transitions between scenes were abrupt. For instance, after the two characters consummate their relationship, it cuts from the bedroom to the morning after. Also, Sarani's and Rhystan's relationship in the present day felt very superficial. He spent a lot of the time being furious at her and avoiding her. Their connection, therefore, wasn't as strong as it could have been. Also, I couldn't help but feel like the trauma of Sarani's father being murdered was never fully addressed.

I enjoyed reading this story and the characters, but their bond at times felt flimsy, as others have mentioned. I also can't imagine the amount of editing and rewrites she must have gone through based on reactions from the first version. She did soften and change the tone of some of the earlier criticism. I always really enjoy Howard's book and look forward to her next book.

3.5/5. Princess Sarani, mixed-race daughter of an Indian maharaj and a British aristocrat, fell for Englishman, Rhystan when they were both young and full of romantic notions. Courtesy of outside influences and family obligations, these notions did not last too long and they were parted under a cloud of broken vows and acrimony. Immediately after Sarani's father was ruthlessly murdered those looking to usurp his place, Sarani makes a mad dash escape from India to her late mother's birth nation. She stows onboard a ship captained by none other than Rhystan, now the Duke of Embry and no longer the lovelorn young boy of yesteryear. This Rhystan is taller, more powerfully built, more formidable and intimidating in every way - and full of wrath and bitterness, all directed at her.

When the ARC was first released last year, there were a lot of initial criticisms of the book with readers feeling that the author was glossing over colonialism and that there were some rather uncomfortable racial elements and even racist slurs and stereotypes. Kudos to the multiracial author (who is of part Indian heritage) who read all these feedback and allowed herself to be guided by these as well as advice from fellow authors. The result is revised book, this updated ARC that I have read, which appears to me to have removed all these troubling components of the book. Instead, Howard has emphasised that even when the relationship between the English colonists and the Indian people appeared cordial, racism and subtle oppression were not too far below the surface and the leadership of local Indian rulers were constantly undermined by the English, who never accepted them as equals even when the locals adopt English clothing, language and habits. Howard also included historically accurate information about uprising of the Indian people against the colonial occupation.

My issues with the book: Rhystan was an arse who who remained vengeful and aloof even after learning the truth about the past. He was happy enough to take advantage of her, but offered her little in return. He displayed no evidence (external and internal) of carrying any affection for her until the very end. Also, how did he become a commander at 19? Sarani, once she left Indian shores, did little to retain her Indian heritage. She dressed, behaved and spoke like an English aristocrat. Moreover, her inner dialogues were as English as could be also. What happened to her Indian beliefs, her customs, her habits? Additionally the rhythm method of contraception was not known in those days.

Overall, entertaining enough if not exactly memorable.

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

Wow--this story is hitting the presses at a time that we need it. I loved the story of Sara (Princess Sarani Rao of India) and Rhystan (Duke of Embry/Captain). They were together in their younger years, but she broke things off due to her perceived duty to her kingdom to submit to Daddy and marry some pre-arranged slimy guy. Rhystan's heart is broken and boy, is he bitter. He forges a life for himself as a Captain--alone romantically and
hating her. Sarani's father is betrayed and murdered. She runs for her life to try and board a ship back to her mother's home--England. Even unsure what awaits her there, she is desperate. Rhystan refuses her proxy request to board his ship, so she pays off some new hires and takes their place. Neither know the other is on the ship. What could go wrong? Right here, you know this is going to be a great story! In the weaving of this story, we see some pretty ugly themes, including racism and colonialization. As a person of color, I thought the author did an amazing job showing both the ugly side and the beautiful side of how happy people can be without those viewpoints in their hearts. We also see one of the characters change due to an event--their eyes and heart were opened. I found that very hopeful. I loved the romance and the progression from the obvious first nightmare of a face-to-face meeting. I loved that these 2 communicated well--which is the only way for them to move forward. I loved this story and plan to read more from this author.

This is a great angsty second chance romance between Indian princess Sarani and British Duke Rhystan. I thought the romance was great, it's funny and steamy and all the banter and longing for each other is a beautiful set up for the romance..
I read online that the book has had problems with themes as racism, colonialism and mysogyny, but the book must have gone through rewrites, because I think it handles these themes very well. The differences in culture and lived experiences between the characters is what makes this book so special. Not a standard historical romance and it is own voices. Would recommend.

I've read from this author previously and liked her writing style and so when I was approved for this book I was pretty excited. I decided to hold off reading it until Asian Readathon. I kind of wish I had read it sooner because this book was great!

Sarani is such a strong heroine and Rhystan was not bad but he could have been a little less thick headed in my opinion. Their chemistry was great though and I liked how protective Rhystan was of Sarani, especially when people were being disgusting racists. Their steamy scenes were fantastic!

It was very interesting to read about Sarani's life in Joor and what the politics were like in that region during the time period. It was upsetting to read about how England controlled that region while also looking down on the people that lived there. But I appreciated that the author showed the reality instead of giving us a sugar coated princess romance.

The eARC I recieved was formatted terribly so reading was difficult at times. I normally refuse to read a poorly formatted ebook but the story was interesting enough that I was determined to get through the book. I'm glad I did, it was a great read!

Rhystan is a reluctant duke and a sea captain. Sarani is an Indian Princess born to an English Nobel woman and Indian maharaja. She is forced to take on a new identity when her father is murdered. Essentially as a stow away on Rhystan's ship she doesn't realize that the captain is someone from her past.
This story starts out as a comical scenario and gradually turns serious.
Amalie Howard is an awesome author who writes a really good storyline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Born to an Indian maharaja, Princess Sarani Rao has it all: beauty, riches, and a crown. But with a British mother, her mixed blood makes her a pariah and a target. And when Sara’s father is murdered, her only hope of survival is to escape on the next ship out—captained by the boy she once loved…and spurned.

Captain Rhystan Huntley, the reluctant Duke of Embry, has a place in the English fleet, which he’s loathe to give up. 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 India on his ship.

I’m such a huge fan of Amalie and her writing and had been looking forward to this book forever despite the initial controversy surrounding it. And the cover is beautiful.

The romance between Sara and the Duke is swoonworthy. There’s tension and sensuality and all the things you want from an HR novel. And the Sex definitely scores 4 eggplants and up. Highly recommend

Indian Princess Sarani Rao’s father has been murdered and she has to escape the palace in a hurry. With the help of a maid and servant, they bribe their way onto a ship in the dead of night. Captain Rhystan Huntley was born a third son but is now the disinclined Duke of Embry. Duty is calling him back to England, but the last thing he expects to find on his ship is the woman he loved and lost.

Sarani, traveling as Lady Sara Lockhart, is the daughter of an Indian Maharaja and a British/Scottish mother from the aristocracy. When Sarani and Rhystan first interacted in Joor, they fell for each other, but he was “beneath” her position as a younger son. Years later, he is Duke and she is displaced.

I enjoyed this book and thought there were a lot of layers. I liked the tension that built while they were on the ship, and the insights into their character when they returned to England. Sarani was fierce and spunky, despite trying accept herself and figure out where she belonged. Rhystan was an independent, thrust into a title he never wanted. Their fake relationship kept Sarani safe and Rhystan from matchmaking mommas (including his own).

This book got super steamy with some amazingly sexy scenes! I loved that. I also loved the author note at the end. It's always appreciated when an author gives readers an insight into their writing and what's going on during that time in history.

Tropes: First Love, Second Chance, Ship Trip Romance, Fake Relationship, Culture Clash

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review

I loved The Beast of Beswick and it's sequel, so when I saw this I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately it was not the same experience at all. From reading other reviews on Netgalley and Goodreads, I believe I have the revised version of an earlier draft (for example, Rhystan in this version gives the plantations he inherits to the locals immediately upon receiving them) and I think it's awesome that the author took criticism and tried to revise this book to be better. I just didn't care for the romance as much as I'd hoped, it felt really slow at the beginning (especially given that they had history) and there was a lot going on outside the romance (her father has been murdered and she's trying to pass for a white noble woman in England to hide, instead of revealing herself as the gorgeous, fiery, half-Indian princess that she is) I'll say I *love* a good trope, but this almost had too many? They're second chance romance, enemies-to-lovers (both of which I love, and is ok together) AND THEN they're fake fiancés to help protect each other, it just seemed like a little too much going on in their relationship to get a clear picture of it.. This won't put me off the author, because I know she can write amazing stories, and I love the diversity that was aimed for here, so I hope to see more in the future - but this one just didn't do it for me.

I received "The Princess Stakes" from Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Amalie Howard is a wonderful author. Princess Sarani Rao has escaped her native home of India because of an assassin who has killed her father, the Maharaja (King). She boards a ship bound for England only to realize that the ship's captain, is her long lost love, the Duke of Embry, Rhyston. To protect her from the unknown villain, they feign an engagement and rename her Sara to blend in with the English. Fate reunites them in the best way that leads to love, self awareness, and self-worth. A beautiful read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I immensely enjoyed this unique, thought-provoking, refreshing story. The novel had discerning differences from the regular Regency novel. The book goes from India to a boat to London. I fell in love with the all-encompassing spirit of the story. This book is a love story between two characters who have to go through tragedy and adversity to shape them into brave, confident individuals.

At heart, this was a second-chance, star-crossed lovers story. I loved the characters; they were multifaceted and fascinating. Sarani was a wonderful, spunky character. I loved most her transformational outlook on life. She is caught between two worlds, truly belonging in neither. She fights hatred, prejudice, and ignorance. Although she is often forced to acquiesce to societal dictates, by the end of the book, she finds her voice and power. Rhystan was disillusioned and destroyed by how Sarani handled their doomed love affair in India. He is a stubborn, free spirit thrust into the role of Duke, which he detests. His sense of duty clashes with what is truly in his heart—both Rhystan and Sarani place family and honor over their wants and needs. The couple sees their relationship as untenable due to Sarani’s heritage. Together the couple finds the inner strength to face the injustices and prejudices of the aristocracy. Eventually, Sarani embraces all of herself, and Rhystan discovers that gossip and malevolence are quieted by those who actively choose to ignore ignorance and embrace differences.

The plot was intricate and delivered a well-thought-out love story. The story flowed well; there was a pronounced split in the middle of the book from the journey to the destination. I felt the conclusion was rushed. I would have better enjoyed a more extended section of resolution. Overall I was captivated by this story. It was thought-provoking, romantic, and passionate. The love-hate relationship between the couple was electric. I loved the epilogue. This novel was a well-rounded, exciting read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley and the Publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I hadn't read anything by this author and I don't think I liked the writing style. But I really loved the story! The characters where also very interesting and complex to read about.

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.When I started reading I couldn't put it downAmalie Howard is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book

This was my first book by this author do I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't really care gor the writing style. It felt choppy and I am not sure what the actual plot of the book was. I linda skimmed through it.

First off, I'm glad that the author did apologize and didn't lash out horribly like most author's do when their being questioned about problematic things happening in their books. She took her critic and made a better book.
I did like this. I'm a sucker for second-chance star crossed lovers romance. This was it. Only few things that bugged me were: the real long journey part took up half of the book, miscommunication, and how the ending was kinda rushed.

The Princess Stakes is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers romance! The story begins as Sarani flees a coup that results in her father’s assassination. Sarani, daughter of the maharaja and a British noblewoman, bribes her way onto a ship bound for England. What she doesn’t realize is that the captain of the ship is Rhystan Huntley, her first love.

Rhystan is still bitter over the way his relationship with Sarani ended, and he is angry when he learns she finagled her way onto his ship. Now a Duke, duty calls Rhystan back to England, while desire pulls him in a different direction. But can he turn away from the only woman he’s ever loved when her life is in danger?

Sarani is the highlight of the story. She is feisty and fierce, and she is super skilled with blades. I love that Sarani stands up for herself, especially with Rhystan, who initially isn’t very nice to her. As Rhystan gives her some of the most unpleasant chores on his ship in exchange for her passage, Sarani gives him a taste of his own medicine. I love that she doesn’t stand for his poor treatment, and instead pushes back. Sarani and Rhystan are so similar. Both are hiding – their names, their personalities, their desires. Both are fleeing from their pasts, both don’t feel like they belong. They are both also bound by duty and often put their own feelings aside to do what is right and expected. This is what initially causes their separation and what threatens their future.

Sarani and Rhystan have a chemistry-laden lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, and there are times when their love seems impossible. However, it’s clear from the start that this couple has very strong feelings for each other. On their voyage from India to England, they agree to a fake engagement, which serves two purposes. First, it takes the pressure off Rhystan, whose mother is pressuring him to marry. Second, it protects Sarani, whose life is in danger. Being engaged to one of the wealthiest and most influential dukes of England offers Sarani a semblance of protection. However, it doesn’t save her from the scorn and racism that she experiences from Rhystan’s peers.

The story also delves into the history of the time and the conflicts between England and India, which is so interesting. The author explores the instability and political upheaval, as well as the disgusting racism that Sarani faces since she is bi-racial. Being half-Indian and half-English in a super prejudiced society causes much conflict for Sarani, as do the assassins who seem to be targeting her. This makes for some tense, suspenseful, and action-packed scenes. I love that Sarani fights her own battles and doesn’t always need a man, in this case, Rhystan, to fight for her. It says a lot about her character and her sense of self.

Finally, be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the story. There’s some really interesting historical information that relates to the story, and it addresses some of the inspiration behind the story, characters, and themes. I think that what the author says about women, identity, and self-worth is really insightful and powerful.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Amalie Howard for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I so enjoyed the story and can’t wait to read more by the author!