Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard is the first in her historical romance series Taming of the Dukes. Following a ballerina barely making ends meet and a duke in need of a fiancé, the story is reminiscent of classic 90s romcoms and would make Nora Ephron proud. There is so much to love about this story: fake relationship, grumpy-sunshine trope, neurodivergent main character, and banter.

The story opens on the Duke of Montcroix, Lysander Blackstone, on his way home from a night of drinking, theater, and failed attempts to buy a piece of land needed to expand his railroad when he comes across a beautiful specter of a woman upset and muttering things that would make a sailor blush. Never let it be said that the duke is not a gentleman. Intrigued he stops to make sure she is alright, and quickly the pair become tangled with a group of street thugs. The woman aids in his escape, and as he doesn’t quite want to let her go just yet, he makes a proposal: she attends a ball with him the next evening, pretending to be his fiancé and he pays her an ungodly amount to do so. Pretty Woman vibes?

I fell in love with Lysander nearly immediately. His quirks are endearing, and my heart broke for him on several occasions. The author beautifully illustrates a type of neurodivergence with him that will resonate with readers familiar with it. Lysander thinks literally and takes things as at face value, a black and white version of events with no grey middle. This makes it hard for him to relate to others on an emotional level. His upbringing also taught him to hide his feelings behind an uncaring mask. Though when a smile breaks through it is beautiful.

Nevé is a wonderful character to complement Lysander. She has an emotionally driven, artistic soul which can often clash with the duke’s line of thinking. It’s hard for her to understand how cold and oftentimes callous he is. However those little glimpses behind his mask endear him to her. I love her passion and her loyalty to those she loves. She also takes a moral stance and pushes for those things during a time when most women would have been ridiculed for doing so.

Overall, I really enjoyed Always Be My Duchess. I loved the banter and sweet relationship that builds between Nevé and Lysander. They are easy to root for. Highly recommend this steamy historical romance for readers who enjoy romcoms.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine

“Your body is the perfect one.”
“I’m as flat as a crepe.”
His fingers found one of her small breasts, kneading it. “I happen to love crepes.”

Basic plot:
Lysander wants to convince a business associate to sell property to him – to do so, he wants to present himself as a settled family man. When he has a run in with out of work ballerina Neve, they strike a bargain.

Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian England time period (1865)
- London setting
- Bargain – hero pays the heroine to pose as his betrothed
- Fake relationship
- Diversity featured – hero is not good with crowds of people and loud noises, tends to blunt and not focused on the emotional aspect of decisions.
- Duke hero, ballerina heroine – BOTH MUSIC LOVERS
- Medium to higher steam – 3 scenes but they are nice and detailed
- Class difference feel

Ages:
- Didn’t see anything listed, but would guess mid to late 20s

My thoughts:
Overall I really enjoyed this one! But I did struggle a bit in the beginning.

The opening scene is very good and we have Lysander meeting Neve in a Covent Garden alley. It’s a hot introduction and we get a great feel for our characters backgrounds and goals in life – how they are both stuck. But after the initial bargain is struck between them, my interest started to wane a bit. It could be that it’s the first book in this series, so we have some side characters introduced (which were all lovely!) or that the hero and heroine were doing their own things part of the time (just personal preference for me and what starts to dwindle my attention) but I found myself checking the page count fairly frequently and I ended up setting it down for a few days and came back to it.

I am glad I gave it that full chance because I thought the middle and second half were great! There’s a lot of evil people in this one and as I prefer low villain-ish activity that did irk me, and I wish some of the loose ends felt a bit more ‘wrapped up’ than they did? But I’m sure we’ll see these characters as the series play out and that might make it feel more complete.

Sometimes I have a hard time falling for heroes like Lysander, who can seem a bit standoffish. But Lysander burns hot, it just took a bit for him to open up to Neve. And when he did I was just so lost to him in the best way. I felt his desire for Neve, not only in a sexual capacity but like she was a balm to his soul and exactly what he needed.

Neve is a tough woman having had to fend her herself and protect her sister among the cut throat world of ballet and society. And she can come off as a bit harsh and mistrustful understandably. I just didn’t connect with her until towards the end of the book, when she tried to see the true Lysander behind the bargain and what his heart was calling for.

I loved what a place music, ballet and instruments played in this story. Many romances tend to poo on music, or make fun of less than stellar musical performances and being that it was such part of life it makes me happy to see two people embrace their love for music together.

Lots of quippy little humor lines in here that I loved. Playful banter was fun. Steamy scenes really took my breath away. Overall I really enjoyed a lot of the book and am eager to see what else the series holds – we are introduced to a number of unique and fun women that befriend Neve so I am hoping they all get a story.

I loved this story about N’eve and Lysander. I don’t think I’ve read a historical romance about a ballerina so it was refreshingly unique. Lysander had characteristics of being on the spectrum which made him interesting as well. Very sexy with a great grovel at the end. 5 big stars!

Thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley, and Amalie Howard for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've seen this book described as "Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton" and I think that's pretty accurate. The cover alone screams "Pretty Woman!"

Neve, a ballerina, and the Duke of Montcroix meet while he is lost late at night in an unfamiliar area of London and she is crying over being turned down for a role in the ballet. Neve is broke and alone in London and needs a job. The Duke asks her to pose as his fiance so that the ton will leave him be. She agrees and sparks fly.

Both characters are surprisingly mutli-layered which I enjoyed. Neve's circle of friends are also hilarious and I'm sure more books will closely feature them.

CW: open door scenes, neuro-divergent MC, emotional abuse, attempted sexual assault

“I have it on impeccable authority that a body can’t survive without its heart, and you’ve had mine in your keeping since the day we met…where you go, I go.”

I don’t read a lot of historical romance, but the summary for this mentioned it was “Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton” and that piqued my interest. This IS a rags to riches story, and while I don’t necessarily agree with the Pretty Woman part, any Bridgerton fan will love this one.

Neve is an out of work ballerina in London trying to find work so she can financially care for her handicapped sister back in France. After a run in with Duke Lysander where she essentially saves his life, they strike up a fake engagement which will benefit Neve financially and will hopefully help the Duke secure a business deal.

I always love a story with strong, independent women and this book did not disappoint! Neve manages to find a group of female friends who fall a little outside of societal norms and that was a refreshing take for the time period. Neve herself is confident and self-sufficient with a quick wit and temper. Which is perfect because the Duke is grumpy and hard to read and I really enjoyed the witty banter and flirty chemistry between them. The tension was enemies-to-lovers style and I was quickly pulled into this fake dating, close proximity romance.

This book is full of lovable characters and historical charm and I really enjoyed this fast paced, steamy love story! I can already tell that Amalie Howard is going to be a new favorite author. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy to read and review! Always Be My Duchess hits shelves on July 12th.

Book #1 Taming of the Dukes series. A fake dating trope, with a nod to PRETTY WOMAN 🎬 including the heroine’s sister named “Vivienne”.. from the movie! 😉

Our hero, Lord Lysander Blackstone—the Duke of Montcroix, gets lost in seedy Covent Garden and comes across our heroine in the street crying.. angry tears?!? Yep.. our heroine Miss Neve Valery is sad, mad, and everything in-between due to the fact she’s an out-of-work Parisian ballerina 🩰 that can’t get hired.

They end up huddled together in a precarious position in a narrow alley while being chased by a horde of drunken robbers. 💥Sparks💥 do fly let me tell you! He proposes to hire her to be his companion at a ball.. and to convince an Earl he’s no rake to close a land deal.

This turns into a fake engagement with sexual tension and sizzling chemistry 🥵 that is too hot for the couple not to pursue. This is quite the steamy romance!! 🔥

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for providing a digital review copy. All opinions are my own. Pub. 7/12/22

Pretty Prima (ballerina)
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Hopefully you sang that title to the tune of Pretty Woman after looking at this cover, because Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard is a fun reworking of the classic 90s romcom. Who knew that we all needed a regency version of this classic Cinderella story, this time with a dancer with a heart of gold paid by a stern neurodiverse Duke to act as his fake fiancé in order for him to close a business deal? Well we did and Amalie Howard provided.
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I loved the little nods to Garry Marshall’s film like the “no kissing on the mouth” but with a twist. This was such a fun set up and you are rooting for this Duke and ballerina the entire story, even if sometimes the pacing felt a little slow in the middle. Now I want Howard to rework all my other favorite 80s and 90s romcoms into historical romances. I think When Harry Met Sally would be amazing.
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Always Be My Duchess releases next week on July 12th from @readforeverpub. Thank you to @netgalley for my e-ARC.
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What favorite film would you like to see reworked into a book?
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Out July 12, 2022 [Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Lord Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, is a stone-hearted gargoyle who cares only about his fortune. But when he is unexpectedly rescued by Miss Geneviève Valery, a struggling ballerina, and the two hatch a fake dating scheme to help Lysander secure a favorable business deal, he just might learn that he has a heart underneath all his armor after all.

I love all Regency-era romances and that is just it, but this one in particular was SO MUCH FUN. I absolutely flew through it (just one more chapter! I said as I continued to read five more chapters) and the romance was so sweet and swoony and gorgeous and funny and wonderful. Lysander, in particular, is a captivating male lead—a neurodivergent hero who is guarded with his heart but driven to the grandest of grand gestures for the woman he can’t help but love. And Geneviève is a tough, smart, no-nonsense heroine who is unafraid to stand up for herself and fight for what she wants. Together, they make a fire-and-ice pair that I absolutely could not get enough of.

When it comes to romances, I’m pretty particular about my endings, and I really liked this one, which had a very sweet epilogue (including some great foreshadowing for the next book in the series!) I absolutely cannot wait to revisit these characters in whatever Amalie Howard writes next!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Regency-era romance; grumpy + sunshine trope; he-falls-first trope.

CW: Discussions of sexual/physical assault; child abuse; death of a parent.

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard might be my favorite book of 2022 thus far! I'm a huge fan of Bridgerton so this book sucked me in from the beginning. Then when I saw a Pretty Woman vibe as the description mentioned, I was sold! The characters were absolutely amazing and brought so much life to this book. For a historical romance genre, I was laughing all the time! I could go on and on about this book! I'm so exited this is a series because I need more along these story lines and Amalie Howard!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me this ARC. If you enjoyed the Bridgerton series you will love this book. It has a very similar vibe of Daphne and Simon's book if you want reference. This is my first book by this author and I loved the way she fleshed out the side characters and you can see who she is taking on in the next installments of her series. I rated this book a 3 and hope you enjoy the Queens.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC of Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard. This book completely sucked me in and I had it read in almost one sitting. I felt like I was in a Bridgerton episode with different characters but better! Neve and Lysander are an unlikely match but their chemistry is unmatched. Neve is a spitfire and doesn't let anyone push her around, even the Duke. What starts as a temporary arrangement to help close a business deal ends in something that neither expected. This was my first read by Howard and am eager to read more.

Always Be My Duchess claims to be a mix of Pretty Woman and Bridgerton. While this is a big claim, I feel that it lives up to it beautifully. The characters were all lovable and left me rooting for them. I appreciated the amount of detail that went into Nève and her relationship with both the other characters as well as ballet.

Nève’s journey was more than just the way her feelings developed for the Duke of Montcroix. It was also the way she was able to rise to the challenges of being an active ballet dancer and the difficult circumstances that arise from the inability for powerful men to accept the word ‘no’. Nève’s thorough background and the details that went into it really added to the complexity of the storyline.

The Duke of Montcroix was interesting, but not to the same extent that Nève and the other women in the book. While I enjoyed the tension and banter between him and Nève, I was never fully invested in him as a character. The other women in Nève’s life however, were amazing and I cannot wait to see more of them.

I would have liked to see a little bit more and be told a little less. There were a few times when the conflict felt a bit forced because I kept being reminded that it was coming. It took me out of the moment rather than sinking me deeper into the plot as I would have hoped.

I always love it when I can laugh out loud while reading and have the rest of the room look at me and ask if I am ok. This book had several of those moments and I absolutely loved it. It was a book hat definitely brought a smile to my face when I needed it.

3.5 🌶
4⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this beautiful eARC in exchange for my honest opinions

What a fun and entertaining read!
Always Be My Duchess was a lovely steamy historical romance that kept me engaged throughout the story.
The humorous parts of the book really kept me entertained. Then you have that fiery romance aspect going on.
All in all, a enjoyable read.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh how I loved this! I’m not sure I’ve ever highlighted so many passages in a historical romance before! I was immediately drawn to Névé and Stone from their first awkward meeting. This had steamy tension filled moments, but also so much heart too. Both the Duke and Névé have had rough pasts and although they are currently from different worlds , they had so much in common. My heart broke for Névé in the struggle she and her sister faced after the death of their parents. My heart absolutely broke for Lysander and how his father systematically destroyed everything he cared about. The chemistry and banter between Névé and Lysander was perfect! I’m so happy this is going to be a series! I absolutely couldn’t put this one down and I can’t wait to read what’s next!

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC
This was such a blast! ALWAYS BE MY DUCHESS is fake-dating for the 1800s, and I really enjoyed it. It takes more liberties with the time period than some historical fiction/romances do, and as such feels extremely modern, but still gives you the vibes of the historical time period. I’d say, though, that if you read the genre and look for accuracy, this probably isn’t the one for you. Néve and Lysander were likable main characters, and I’m glad we got both of their perspectives to see how each person’s feelings were developing. There were, of course, some side plots involving Lysander’s role as a duke, which I found to be enjoyable too, though the romance is obviously the main plot, and it was so well done! Every interaction between the couple made me happy; I smiled my way through this book. I also liked seeing Néve as a ballerina and the conversations it brought about. I highly recommend this!

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book.
Neve is desperate to regain her position as a ballerina after her reputation is destroyed for rejecting a man.
Stone is a hard man who cares only for his businesses.
When the duke and ballerina meet, the agree to an arrangement in which neve will be paid to act as Stone's fiance so he can secure a property for the newest railroad.
Neve was a strong character but what I really loved was how she brought out the best in stone and yet still loved him for who he was.
Can't wait for the next book in the series.

One of my favorite movies is Pretty Woman, so I was excited to read that this book was based off of the movie. I'm also a fan of historical romance, so this was a win win. I like how the author weaves these two things together while also making it her own. It was fun to see how bits and pieces were reminiscent of the movie while in a Victorian era setting. This book has fake dating, instant attraction, slow burn, working class, opposites attract, etc. I did enjoy the book, but there were times when I felt that the characters were a little bit in their heads too much, which made me want to skim parts so I could get back into the story. I did enjoy the side characters and look forward to reading about their stories, which I know are sure to come. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.

The Regency Era in England is one of my favorite time period settings for the romance genre. I enjoyed how the author made references to historical places and transported you to England in the 1800’s. The author did a great job of creating a strong female character that broke the rules during a time when women had little rights.

The fake dating trope is not my favorite but I think the author did a decent job with it. The book had a Pretty Woman vibe, which I thought was creative. I appreciated that this book had some “spice” and steamy scenes.

Overall, I thought the book was enjoyable but found myself skimming from time to time. I would give this book between 3-3.5 stars

Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, is focused on increasing his fortune with a profitable railway project. A chance run in with Miss Geneviève Valery, leads to an out of character proposal from Lysander: pose as distant cousin/potential fiancée for money so he can ink a difficult property deal. As an out of work ballerina, Nève’s options are limited. But the Duke’s offer - not proposition - is intriguing and would give her the opportunity to start over.

This is a new series from Amalie Howard based loosely on movie reimaginings. This one has a Pretty Woman theme although, unlike the movie, this doesn’t begin with a sexual relationship. After refusing to become a wealthy theatre patron's mistress, Nève is forced out of work and blackballed. She’s wary of Lysander, but also knows she needs the money. Lysander is a neurodivergent hero; he’s incredibly focused and methodical, and avoids matters that can’t be solved by money and persistence. I really liked how both characters developed through their relationship. As always, Amalie Howard’s stories are filled with fun, friendship, and witty banter. Can’t wait for the next one! (4.5 stars rounded to 5)

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Fake Relationship

Steam: 3

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #AlwaysBeMyDuchess #NetGalley

Quick Summary: Lovely on all counts.

My Review: Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard was everything! This story had humor. It had chemistry. It had attitude. It had spunk. It had grit. It had female empowerment. It had conflict. It had growth. It had reconciliation. It had love. It also had a cast of characters that were incredibly refreshing and totally captivating.

The Chance Meeting: A duke in the rookeries, indeed! I loved how the initial encounter between L and N happened. Who was to be rescued and who was the rescuer? (Thank you for that, Ms. Howard!)

The Duke: L was everything his father didn't want him to be. Thank goodness! He may have seemed stoic and stern at first, however, as the story progressed, it was easy to recognize his tenderness and compassion. These traits made him even more attractive. Additionally, I loved his overall strength and conviction. By the end, his humility is what catapulted him to the next level as a partner.

The Ballerina: N was fierce, feminine, and frank. She was not one to back down, and I was here for it. Despite the conditions that she and her sister faced, she did what she had to do, without any reservations or hesitation. I knew I would love her when she first came on the scene. (Lol. She was golden.) She, too, like the duke, had vigor and a strength of character that made her appealing. As a heroine, she was worthy.

The Love Match: The relationship between L and N started with a small flame and quickly blazed into a magnificent inferno. These two were so right for each other. They were explosive together, from the beginning. Their penchant for playful banter and double entendre was wicked.

The Queens: Yass!!! (That is all.)

The Aunt: She was a queen in her own right. (I am convinced that she knew what was happening all along. She simply allowed nature to take its course. One thing is for certain, she was not sleeping on her nephew's relationship.)

My Favorite Scenes: The Rescue, The First Kiss, The Golden Gown, The Whipping of the Weasel, and The Reconciliation/HEA (Of course, I kept the major dets general. I could not go into detail...even though I want to do so. I don't want to spoil anything for other readers.)

The Bonus: The discussion questions in the back of the book are wonderful.

My Final Say: I adored this period romance more than I can say. This story was so captivating that it, quite frankly, has convinced me to follow the series. I cannot wait to learn more about the Queens Club members aka the Hellfire Kitties. Salute!

Rating: 4.75/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Keeper: Yes
Re-read: Yes
Series: Yes

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The words that I have freely shared are my own and have not been influenced by the aforementioned in any way.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.